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THE JEANNETTE 



COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC 

NARRATIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA 

OF ALL VOYAGES AND EXPEDITIONS TO 

THE NORTH POLAR REGIONS, 

CONTAINING A 

COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF THE MOST REMARKABLE EXAMPLES OF HEROISM, 
ENDURANCE AND SUFFERING ON RECORD. 

EMBRACING THE BIOGRAPHY AND VOYAGES OF 

FRANKLIN, KANE, HAYE£, HALL, AND DE LOJSfQ, 



WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCTIC NAVIGATION THROUGH THE VOYAGES OF THE 

NORSEMEN, THE CABOTS, GILBERT, DAVIS, BARENTZ, HUDSON, BAFFIN, BEHRING, MACKENZIE, 

COOK, SCORESBY', PARRY, WRANGELL, ROSS, NARES, NORDENSKIOI.D, SCHWATKA, SMITH, 

YOUNG, AND MANY OTHERS; AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF ALL IMPORTANT 

SCIENTIFIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES EVER MADE IN THE 

FROZEN NORTH. 



l> 



CAPT. RICHARD PERRY. 



ELEGANTLY ILLUSTRATED WITH TWO HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS. 



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50188 






•WAS' J .l^ G ' 
CHICAGO: 



. At* 



THE COBURN & COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY. 

BRANCH OFFICES: 
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., LANSING, MICH., FOND DU LAC, WIS., PERRYVILLE, MO., DENVER, COL. 

1882. 



r 



i 



COPYRIGHTED BY 

THE COBURN i COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
1882. 

Press and Types of Blakely, Marsh & Co., Electrotypes of A. Zeese <fc Co. 
Donohue & Henneberry, Binders. 



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Z2 O? 



PREFAGR. 



"7? 

The universal interest in Arctic exploration which has ueen aroused 
by the melancholy fate of the Jeannette, her commander, and so large a 
portion of her crew, has suggested the writing of this work. While this 
has been its direct and immediate inspiration it was deemed advisable to 
enlarge its scope so as to include similar and correlated voyages from the 
earliest period. 

It has been written in sympathy with the heroic efforts of the 
explorers who in every age have labored in this field for the enlarge- 
ment of human knowledge. 

The general interest in literature of this kind is legitimate and even 
commendable. A wholesome and bracing intellectual tonic, it energizes 
the mind. The reading of such works cannot produce other than good 
i"csults. Free from the tedium of minute chronology and burdensome 
detail, thev r possess all the most attractive elements of history, biography 
and travel — a triple combination unsurpassed even by poetry, fiction 
or romance. 

The taste of the artist and the skill of the engraver have been 
brought into requisition to enforce and illustrate the information con- 
veyed, adding a charm and value that will be readily appreciated by 
every reader. 

In the hope that this work will contribute its share toward driving 
out of general circulation the mass of poisonous trash that is suffered to 
represent, or misrepresent, our current literature among such multitudes 
of the youth of our land, it is herewith respectfully submitted to the kind 
consideration and patronage of the public. 



LIST OF AUTHORITIES. 



The Following Works have heen used in the Preparation of this A'olume: 



\ 



Encyclopaedia Britannica. 

Appleton's American Cyclopaedia. 

Chambers' Encyclopaedia. 

Zell's Encyclopaedia. 

Johnson's Encyclopaedia. 

Newman's America. 

Bancroft's History of the United States. 

Lippincott's Pronouncing Gazetteer of the World. 

Lippincott's Pronouncing- Biographical Dic- 
tionary. 

Bates' Countries of the World. 

Illustrated Travels. (Six vols.) 

Whymper's Sea. (Four vols.) 

Heeren's Works. 

Wheaton's Explorations. 

Irving' s Columbus. (Three vols.) 

Frobisher's Three Voyages. 

Voyages to Cathay and India. 

Raleigh, Discovery of Guiana. 

Hakluyt's Voyage to America. 

DeVeer's Three Voyages to China. 

Hawkins' Voyages. 

Maynarde's Drake's Voyages. 

De Veer's Voyages of Wm. Barentz. 

Cooley's Maritime Inland Discoveries. (Three 
vols.) 

Life of Frobisher. 

Phipp's Voyage to the North Pole. 

Life of Sir John Franklin. 

Franklin's First Voyage. 

Franklin's Second Voyage. 

Wrangell's Arctic Voyages. 

Parry's Three Voyages. 



Voyages of Sabine and Clavering. 
Back's Arctic Land Expedition. 
Lyon's Private Journal of Arctic Voyages. 
Hartwig's Polar World. 
Verne's Historie des Grands Voyages. 
Inglefield's Summer Search for Franklin. 
Richardson's Search for Franklin. 
Mayne's Voyages to Arctic Regions. 
M'Clure's Discovery of Northwest Passage. 
Elder's Life of Kane. 
Kane's First Grinnell Expedition. 
Kane's Second Grinnell Expedition. 
Hall's Arctic Researches. 
M'Clintock's Voyage in the Arctic Seas. 
Tytler's Discoveries in the Polar Seas. 
Leslie's Discoveries in the Polar Seas. 
Adventures of British Seamen. 
Hayes' Open Polar Sea. 
Hayes' Pictures of Arctic Travel. 
Markham's Arctic Works. 
Sonntag in Search of Franklin. 
Tyson's Arctic Experiences. 
Koldewey's German Expedition. (Two vols.) 
Weyprecht and Payer's Voyages. 
Nares' Polar Voyage. 
Nordenskiold's Voyage of the Vega. 
History of Shipwrecks. 
The New York Herald. 
Harper's Magazine. 
Scribner's Monthly. 

The Library Magazine, and Contemporaneous 
Papers and Magazines generally. 



CONTENTS. 



PART I. 

Early Explorers 17-6S 

CHAPTER I. 

Conceptions of the Ancients — Voyage of Pytheas — Discovers Thule — Origin of the Norseman — ■ 
Political Development — A Career of Piracy — Greenland and Iceland Colonized — Incidental Discovery 
of North America. 

CHAPTER II. 

Portuguese and Spanish Discoveries — Portuguese Voyages to North America — Voracity of the 
Spanish — Results of Columbus' Discovery — Voyage of the Cabots— First Voyage Around the World 
— Voyage to La Plata — French Voyages. 

CHAPTER III. 
Search for Northeast Passage — Voyage of Chancellor — Enterprise of Muscovy Company. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Search for Northwest Passage Resumed — Frobisher's Load of Gold — Two Voyages of Gilbert — 
Gilbert Shipwrecked — Hawkins, the Slave-Trader — Drake Sails around Cape Horn. " 

CHAPTER V. 

Davis Sent Out — Trades with Natives of Greenland—Great Danger in the Ice — Passes Hudson's 
Bav — Raleigh in Search of Gold — Disappointment — Confined in the Tower. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Voyages of the Dutch — Northeast Passage Again — Barentz Reaches Orange Islands — Gerrit 
De Veer— Sickness and Death — Surrounded by Bears and Foxes — Reappearance of the Sun — Burial of 
Barentz — Voyage of Van Noort — Fight with Patagonians — Defeat the Spanish. 

PART II. 

Early Arctic Voyages 69- 15s 

CHAPTER VII. 

First Arctic Voyage under Bennet— Kill Many Walruses — Walruses Brought to England — 
Voyage of Knight in the Hopewell — Attacked by Savages — Voyages of Hudson — Fourth and Last 
Voyage of Hudson. 

CHAPTER VHI. 

Voyage of Poole ---Biscayan Whale Fishers — Button in Search of Hudson — H ull's V nyno-e to 
Greenland — Commercial Voyage Under Baffin — Fotherby — Bylot — Discovery of Baffin's Bav. 

CHAPTER IX. 

Voyages of Dutch Resumed — Manhattan Island Occupied — First Voyage Around the Horn — 
Voyage of Munk — Casks Burst by Frost — Voyage of the May Flower. 

CHAPTER X. 

Voyages of Fox and James — Enterprise of Bristol Merchants — Marvelous Escape from Icebergs — 
Reach Open Water — Land on Charlton Island — The Ship Sunk — Building a Boat — Suffering and Death 
— The Boat Launched — Poem of James — The Return Voyage. 

CHAPTER XI. 

An Interval between Arctic Voyages — Wintering in the Arctic Region — Death of Ma.yen — 
Other Dutch Voyages — Captain Raevn Loses his Ship — Brutality of a Dutch Captain — Which Is the 
Way to India ? 

CHAPTER XII. 

Northwest Voyage of Gillam — Alleged Discovery of a Northwest Passage — Hudson's Bay 
Company Chartered — -A Pilot's Story of the North Pole — Voyage of Wood — Wreck of Wood's Ship — 
James Knight — Report of Indians Concerning Mines. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Arctic Voyages of the Russians — Voyage of the Cossack Deshniev — Conquest of Kamchatka 
— Attempted Reduction of the Tchuktchis. 



VIII. CONTENTS 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Voyage of Behring — Start for Kamchatka River — -Discovery of Behring's Strait — Reach Land on 
American Side — Investigations of Steller — Fright of a Native at the Taste of Brandy — Reduced by 
Sickness — Behring Disabled — The Ship's Company Divided — A Stranded Whale — Death of Behring. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Swaine Starts from Philadelphia — Explorations of Labrador — Arctic Exploration by Hearne — 
Instruments Destroyed by Wind— Maltreatment of Esquimaux — Arctic Voyage of Phipps — Reaches 
Spitzbergen. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Cook's Enterprise for Discovering- Northwest Passage — Leaves Plymouth — Extensive Barter with 
Natives — Arrive at Sandwich Islands — Outrages of the Hawaiians — Captain Cook Murdered — Ap- 
proval of Cook by Royal Society — Capt. Clerke takes Charge of the Expedition — Market Furs in 
Canton. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

English and Danish Voyages — Frobisher— Pond — Mackenzie — Discovers Mackenzie's River — 
Godthaab Colony Founded — Scoresby Makes First Voyage to Greenland — William Scoresby, Jr., be- 
gins Seafaring Life — Voyage to Spitzbergen Seas — Numerous Remains of Animal Life — Scoresby 
Publishes Account of His Travels— Necessity the Mother of Invention — Discovers Cape Hope — Inau- 
gurates the Use of Boats and Sledges. 

PART III. 
The First Arctic Voyages of the iqth Century 159 — 370 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Buchan in Dorothea and Trent — Dorothea Nearly Destroyed in the Ice — Isabella and Alexander 
under Command of Ross and Parry — Encounter Esquimaux — Phenomenon of Red Snow — Enter Lan- 
caster Sound — Ross Orders a Return. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

First Voyage of Parry — Object of the Voyage — Enter the Arctic Circle — Beset in the Ice - 
Reach Possession Bay — Prince Regent Inlet Named — Cape York. 

CHAPTER XX. 

Trials and Pastimes of an Arctic Winter — Health Regulations — An Arctic Newspaper — An 
Arctic Theater — Daily Occupations — Total Absence of the Sun — The Appearance of Scurvy — Mock 
Suns — More Theatricals — Extracts from an Arctic Journal — A Shower of Rain. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Struggle with Ice — Banks* Land Discovered — Provisions Destroyed — Out of Danger — Parry 
Orders Full Rations for His Crew — The Return Homeward — Visit from Esquimaux — Description of 
Native Dress and Manners — Arrive in England. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Early Life of Franklin — Wounded at New Orleans — Statement of the Objects of Franklin's 
Three Voyages — Embarks on First Voyage— The First Iceberg — Interesting Experiments — A Leak in 
the Ship — Trade with Esquimaux — Arrive at Fort York — Make Ready for Overland Journey. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Franklin's Journey to Ft. Chippewyan — Procuring Guides — Speech of an Indian Chief — The Re- 
sources of the Party — Start for the Coppermine —The Chief Refuses to Proceed — Canoe Party Sent to 
the Coppermine---A Pedestrian Trip — Return of Both Parties. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Journey to the Coppermine — Visit to the Copper Mountains — Curious Adventure of Dr. Rich- 
ardson — Embarking on the Polar Ocean — Pt. Turnagain — The Return— Terrible Sufferings of the 
Party — Dr. Richardson Risks His Life to Save the Party — Arrival at Ft. Enterprise. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Russian Arctic Voyages — Laptew Brothers — Failure of Schalarow---Rerqains of Mammoth — Arc- 
tic Voyages of Billings — Plundered by Natives — Frequency of Animal Remains — Kotzebue's Voyage 
— Unwelcome Hospitality — A Unique Island. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Russian Expeditions — Wrangell — Wood Hills — Descent of the Lena -Father Michel— Clothing 
for Winter Procured--Start for Cape Schelagskoi— A Sledge Loaded — Tenting in the Arctic Re- 
gions — Severe Cold— Return River — Trading Brandy to Natives — A Siberian Fair — Unwelcome 
Hospitality — A Tchuktchi Dance. 



CONTENTS. IX. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Wrangell's Second Sledge-Journey — Encounter with a Bear — A Salt Moor — Surplus Provisions 
Deposited — Attacked by Bears— Return to Lower Kolymsk — Summer Occupations — Almost an Acci- 
dent — Winter at Nishni Kolymsk. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Wrangell's Third Sledge-Journey — Easter Sunday — Views the Open Sea — Explore the Tundras 
— Meet Kosmin — Importunity of Bereshnoi — Generosity of a Jakut — Return to Kolymsk. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Wrang'ell's Fourth Sledge-Journey— Start for Great Baranicha — Rumors of a Northern Conti- • 
nent — Afloat — -WrangeU Sees the Arctic — 'Danger — Meet with Matinschkin — A Native Speculator — 
Serfdom — Close of Wrangell's Efforts. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Pane's Second Voyage to the Northwest— Sharp Natives — Cairns Discovered — Numerous Dis- 
coveries — Exploration in Boats — In Winter Quarters— Theatricals as a Pastime — Esquimaux Snow 
Huts — Intelligence Among Natives — A Northern Geographer— Killed by a Fall. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Parry Attempts to Free His Ships — Iglooklik Island — A Necropolis — Supposed Discovery of the 
Polar Sea — Hecla and Fury Strait — Gluttony — Unusual Phenomenon — Melville Peninsula Explored — 
Successful Angling — Still Beset — Death from Scurvy — Welcome at Shetland Islands. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Second Voyage of Franklin — State of Arctic Science- --Preparations and Plan- --Death of 
Franklin's Wife- --Franklin Plants His Flag on an Arctic Island---Fort Franklin — Descend the Mac- 
kenzie-- -Separation of the Two Parties- --Serious Adventure with Esquimaux- --The Boats Plun- 
dered-- -Franklin's Return- --Success of Richardson- --Return to England. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Parry's Third Expedition- --Slow Progress- --New Ice Encountered- --The Fury Swept Away--- 
Winter at Port Bowen---Observations---Huntmg---Capture of a Whale---The B^ury Aleak---In- 
specting the Ships---The Fury Abandoned- --Report to the Admiralty. 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Arctic Voyage of Sabine and Clavering---Hammerfest---Cod-fishmg — Discovery of Pendu- 
lum Islands- --Proceed to Cape Parry — Life of Sabine. 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Lyon's Arctic Voyage- --Rowe's Welcome---Lyon's Prayer for Help- --Safety- --Return to 
England. 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Beechey's Arctic Voyage — Sail from Spithead---Kotzebue Sound---Remarkable Phenomena — 
Return Reef — Journey Homeward. 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Parry in Search of the Pole---Plan for Sledge-Journey- --Reindeer Travel- --Graves Discovered — 
Mussel Bay---Fine Weather---The "Enterprise" and "Endeavor"---Reindeer Abandoned- --Arrive 
at Hecla Cove---Relief---The Character of Polar Ice. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Ross' Second Voyage — Employed by Felix Booth— James C. Ross — First Use of Steam in Arctic 
Voyages — Lancaster Sound — Nipped in the Ice — In Winter Quarters — Visited by Esquimaux — Ex- 
hausted Teams — Provisions Reduced — Magnetic Pole Discovered. 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Back's Arctic Journey — Leaves Liverpool — Fort Resolution — Great Fish River — An Ar;tic Resi- 
dence — Akaitcho — A Sledge -Journey — Passing Rapids — Cape Richardson — Voyage in the Terror — 
The Terror Nipped in the Ice — Imprisoned — A Masquerade — Increase of Leakage — Free Again. 

CHAPTER XL. 

Dease and Simpson in North America — Winter at Fort Confidence — Shooting Escape Rapid — 
Cape Pelly — Richardson's River — Montreal Island — Middendorf in Taimur Peninsula — Descends the 
Tenesei — Samoyeds — Hunting Butterflies — Arctic Animals — Taimur Lake — Left Alone — Farewell to 
thre Taimur. 



X. CONTENTS. 

PART IV. 

Franklin and Search Voyages 57 I_ ;' ; '' 

CHAPTER XLI. 

Franklin's Last Voyage — Temerity of Franklin and Party — Chosen by the Admiralty — The 
Erebus and Terror — Last Intelligence of Franklin — Franklin's Favorite Theory — The Search — Com- 
ments on Arctic Science. 

CHAPTER XLII. 

Search for Franklin — Last News — Three Expeditions Planned — Expedition under Richardson 
and Rae — Instructions of the Admiralty — Arrive in America — A ">oublesome Songster — Methy Por- 
tage — A Cache — Mendacious Esquimaux. 

CHAPTER XLIH. 

Richardson's Journey Toward the Coppermine— An Early Winter — A Reasonable Theory — Con- 
jectures — Return to Fort Confidence — Plan for the Summer — Rae's Expedition — Confer with Esqui- 
maux — Return to the Coppermine — Interpreter Drowned — Lost in the Wjods — Approval of the 
Admiralty. 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

Expedition under Sir James C. Ross — Instructions of the Admiralty — Preparations — Uper- 
navik — In a Pack — Maxwell Bay — A Novel Expedient — Spring Occupations — Three Surveying Parties 
— An Arctic House — Wellington Channel — Nipped — Imprisoned — A Miraculous Escape — A Forced 
Retreat — Comments on Arctic Navigation. 

CHAPTER XLV. 

Expedition via Behring's Strait — The Herald and Plover — Pullen's Boat Journey — Lancaster 
Sound — Great Preparations — Discoveries — The Prince Albert Returns to England — Sledge-Journey — 
The Prince Albert — A Critical Situation — Winter on Board the Prince Albert. 

CHAPTER XL VI. 

Search under McClure and Collinson — The Enterprise and Investigator Sent Out Again — Around 
Cape Horn — Sandwich Islands — In Kotzebue Sound — Alone in the Arctic — A Cairn Erected — A Light- 
Fingered Native — Aground — A Cool Reception — A Novel Chronology — False Hope — Northwest Pas- 
sage Predicted. 

CHAPTER XLVII. 

Signs of Winter — Beset — Prepared for Danger — Wintering in the Arctic — Polar Hunting Grounds 
— Summer Again — Prince Albert's Cape — The Enterprise— Anxiety in England — Relief Expeditions — 
A Second Winter in the Arctic — The Search — The Discovery — Pirn's Reception — A Happy Crew — 
Abandonment of the Investigator. 

CHAPTER XLVIII. 

Belcher's Innovation — His Instructions to Capt. Kellett — Return to England — A Court Martial — 
A British Writer's Fancy — Osborn and Cator — Traces — Report of Rae's ^Discoveries — A Thrilling 
Story. 

CHAPTER XLIX. 

First Grinnell Expedition — Action of Congress — Benevolence of Mr. Grinnell — Instructions — 
Leave New York — Melville Bay — In a Lead — Ice -Navigation — Arctic Flora — A Fortunate Escape. 

CHAPTER L. 

A Comparison — Meet with English Squadron — Search in Concert — Graves Discovered — Varying 
Conclusions — End of Summer — Together Once More — Unpleasant Information — An Unexpected Drift. 

CHAPTER LI. 

Arrangements — Icy Analogies — Depressing: Influence — Ingenious Remedies — The Histrionic Art 
— Threatened by a Berg: — The Sun Reappears — The Ice-saw — The Grand Break-up--Toward the Green- 
land Coast — A Short Respite. 

CHAPTER LII. 

A Pleasant Party — Cultivated Tastes — Dangerous Feats — The National Day — Bound for the 
North Again — Escape from Melville Bay — Homeward — Results of the Voyage. 

CHAPTER LIII. 

Expedition of Inglefield — In the Navy Yard — The Crew — Adverse Influences — At Fiskernaes — 
Greenland Piety — Devil's Thumb — Various Discoveries — Nearly Shipwrecked — A Watchful Bear. 

CHAPTER LIV. 

Biography of Kane — Early Qualities— Formal Education— In Wretched Health — Decides upon 
a Life of Celibacv — -His Love -Life — Criticisms. 



CONTENTS. XI 

CHAPTER LV. 

Theory of Kane — The Pole of Greatest Cold— His Appointment and Instructions — His Plan — In 
Melville Bay — Smith's Sound — Great Peril — Extreme Latitude — The Advance at Anchor. 

CHAPTER LVI. 

Kane Leads a Boat and a Sledge Expedition— A Greenland Raver — The Eightieth Parallel — "The 
Same Ice Surrounds Her Still " — Preparations for Winter — A Cache Party — Accidents at the Brig- — 
Difficulties of Arctic Observation — Hans, the Hunter— Return of an Absent Friend — A Preliminary 
Survey — An Unexpected Return — Kane Saves the Party. 

CHAPTER LVII. 

Visit from Esquimaux — Native Dishonest}'' — A Journey to Humboldt Glacier — Tennyson's 
Monument — Kane's Strength Fails — Moral Power of Kane — Hayes' Expedition — Morton Discovers 
an Alleged Polar Sea. 

CHAPTER LVIII. 

Attempted Journey to Beechey Island — Preliminary Council — Good Fortune — Corrects Ingle- 
field's Errors — A Storm on the Bay — An Effort for Freedom — A Record Deposited — Departure of 
Hayes and Party — A Dangerous Experiment — Esquimaux Friendship — A Primitive Contract — Hayes' 
Party Returns — A Description of their Wanderings — Kalutunah — Kane's Wonderful Buoyancy — A 
Diabolical Plot— Its Defeat. 

CHAPTER LIX. 

Kane Determines to Abandon the Brig--Removal of Boats and Sledges--To the Water's Edge- 
Parting from Friends--Hans Proves Susceptible- -Embarking--A Feast--A Seal Killed --The Annual 
Oil Boat- -Arrival at Upernavik--Hartstene's Search- -Kane's Last Days. 

CHAPTER LX. 

McClintock in Command of the Fox — His Choice of Officers — Caught in the Pack of Baffin's 
Bay — A Winter in the Ice — Arrive on King William's Island — Hudson Discovers a Record — A Mourn- 
ful Inference — Two Skeletons — A Curious Medley — Testimony of the Esquimaux Woman — Impor- 
tance of McClintock's Investigations. 

CHAPTER LXI. 

Hall's First Voyage — A Generous Offer — Mr. Grinnell's Agency — Kudlago — At Holsteinberg — 
To Northumberland Inlet — Runaways — The Black Eagle— A Transformation — A New Use of the 
Tongue. 

CHAPTER LXII. 

Chappell Inlet — A Grief-Stricken Daughter — A Deserted Village — A Delicacy — Wreck of the 
Rescue — The Georgiana Saved — Cant. Parker — Tookoolito — A Generous Offer — A Sudden Change — 
A Strange Custom — In a Starving Condition — Robbed by Dogs — Hall Takes up his Residence with 
Innuits. 

CHAPTER LXIII. 

A Deer Killed by Dogs — Frozen to Death — The Approach of Spring — Bayard Taylor Pass — A 
Native Historian — The Breeding Place of the Deer — The " Dreaded Land "—Subsistence in Arctic 
Regions — An Unsafe Boat — An Important Journey Postponed. 

CHAPTER LXIV. 

The Ship Free — A Series of Adventures — Iron Island — Jones' Cape — Cape Stevens — Fresh 
Waters — Peale Point — Jordan's River — The Return — Coal — Countess of Warwick's Sound — Home- 
ward Bound. 

PART V. 
Recent Polar Expeditions 5S7-736 

CHAPTER LXV. 

Theory of Hayes — Announces his Plan — Subscriptions — A Present — The Start — Icebergs — Th 
Kayak — Proven — Upernavik — Strange Scenes — Cape Vork — A Gale — Almost a Wreck — Hartstene Bav 

CHAPTER LXVI. 

Hayes in Winter Quarters — Manifold Preparations — An Ice Fiord Explored — " Brother John's 
Glacier" — Sonntag Survevs the Glacier — A Well Filled Larder — An Arctic Journal — Knorr's Speech — 
Unusual Weather — A Serious Calamity— Aurora Borealis — Search for Sonntag — Account of Sonntag's 
Disaster. 

CHAPTER LXVII. 

Hayes' Sledge -Journey — Humboldt Glacier Sighted — The Hope — The Perseverance — A Snow 
Ilouse — Off for Grinnell Land — A Picture — Slow Progress — High Temperature — Unsafe Ice — High 
Latitude — A Prudent Return— The Ship Injured — Attacked by Walruses — Cape Isabella — Whale 
Sound — The Return Home — Startling News — Death of Hayes. 



XII CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER LXVIII. 

German Expedition under Koldewey — The Plan of Dr. Petermann — Eulogy on Koldewey — 
Departure from Bremerhaven — Separation from the Hansa — A Series of Dangers — Wreck of the 
Hansa — The Coal House — The Drift on the Ice — An Alarm — Danger from Starvation — Arriving at 
Frederichstahl — At Home. • 

CHAPTER LXIX. 

The Germania in East Greenland— The Bienenkorb — Clavering Island — Shanron Island — A 
Question — ASledge-Jour.ney — FlIgeTy Fiord — Kuhn Island — The Germania Moored for Winter — Relics 
of a Decayed Community — Attacked by a Bear — Wide Experience with Animal Life — An Encounter 
with Walruses — The Germania Becomes Free — Return to Germany. 

CHAPTER LXX. 

Hall's Second Voyage — Discovers Relics of Franklin — The Polaris— Officers Selected for Third 
Voyage — Ebierbing- and Tookoolito — A Difference of Opinion — The Highest Point — Last Words 
Penned by Hall — Sledge-Journey to the North — Sickness and Death of Hall — Comments on Hall — The 
Polaris in Danger — Nineteen Persons Left on the Ice — A Drift of Nearly Ten Degrees. 

CHAPTER LXXI. 

Adventures of Tyson and Party on the Ice — Meyer S vept Away — An Agony of Suspense — The 
Inevitable Gale Again — A Sight of the Stars — Rescued at List — Experience of the Polaris Crew — The 
Ship Abandoned— On the Ocean in Boats — Picked up — Arrive at Dundee. 

CHAPTER LXXII. 

Austro-Hungarian Expedition — A Pioneer Expedition — The Isbjorn — Inferences — TegetthofF— 
Arctic Scenes — Beset — The Floe Cracks — A Terrible Watch — A House on the Ice — Great Discoveries — 
Fall of a Sledge — Franz -Josef's Land — A Necessary Conclusion — March to the Sea — Saved b}' a Rus- 
sian Whaler. 

CHAPTER LXXIII. 

English Expedition under Nares — The Alert and Discovery Boring Through the Pack — The 
Elysium of the Arctic Regions— Maxim of Ross — The Discoverv Finds Winter Quarters — The Sea 
of Ancient Ice — Winter Amusements — Death from Exposure --Exemption of Officers from Disease 
— Markham's Sledge Journey— Reaches the Highest Point Ever Attained — Palaeocrystic Ice — Nares 
Concludes to Return to England— Epitaph on the Grave of Hali. 

CHAPTER LXXIV. 

Schwatka Expedition — The Eothen — Officers and Crew — In King William's Land — Confirm" tion 
of Rae's Testimony — Grave of Lieut. Irving — Ho.nage from America and Great Britain. 

CHAPTER LXXV. 

Sweden in Arctic Explorations — Nordenskiold's Numerous Polar Voyages — The Sofia in King's 
Bay— Voyage to the Mouth of the Obi — Samoyed Tents— A Problem in Navigation Solved— Nor- 
denskiold's Preparation— His Sledge-Journeys — Funds Provided— The Vega Purchased. 

CHAPTER LXXVI. 

Furnishing and Managing of the Vega — The Lena--The Frazer--The Express--The Vega 
Leaves Gothenburg- -First Scientific Notes- -Dwarfed Trees- -Barentz' House Discovered — Chabarova— 
Samoyed Life--Their Dealings with the Russians--The Household Gods of the Samoyeds--A Tadibe. 

CHAPTER LXXVII. 

The Vega Continues Her Voyage to the Northeast- -Cape Polander--King Oscar Bay- -The Old 
Problem Solved--The Northernmost Point of Asia— Animal Life--The Vega and LenaPart Com- 
pany—New Ice Begins to Form Around the Vega- -Tchuktchis-- Life Among- the Natives- -Reach 
Cape Onman. 

CHAPTER LXXVIII. 

The Vega in Winter Quarters- --The Usual Preparations- -The Average Cold- -The Home of 
Honesty- -Nordenskiold's Excursion to Pidlin- -Celebration of Christmas-- Visitors at the Vega- 
Auroral Displays- -Comments on the Animal Life of the Region--A Tchuktchi Graveyard --The Ap- 
proach of Release. 

CHAPTER LXXIX. 

Freed from Her Moorings- -Diomede Island- -St. Lawrence Island- -Nordenskiold Reaches a 
Telegraph Station—At Yokohama— A Series of Festivals — At Hong Kong- -Ceylon- -Christmas at 
Sea— The Suez Canal— A Reception at Boulogne—The Grand Celebration- -Comments on the 
Expedition. 



CONTENTS. XIII. 

PART VI. 

The Jeannette 737-835 

CHAPTER LXXX. 

Some Comments on Arctic Navigation- -Its Retrospect, Dangers, and Prospects- -The Desire of 
James Gordon Bennett- -The Pandora- -Her Voyage uuder Allen Young- -At Disco— At Upernavik— 
Discovery of Sir John Ross' Yacht, Mary--Northumberland--Arrive at Portsmouth. 

CHAPTER LXXXI. 

Mr. Bennett Purchases the Pandora—Expense of the Expedition- -The Crew--Lieut. DeLong's 
Letter to the Secretary of the Navy--Her Departure from San Francisco Bay--A Graphic Descrip- 
tion- -At Ounalaska--DeLong Communicates Varied Information to the Secretary. 

CHAPTER LXXXII. 

From Ounalaska to St. Lawrence Bay— Soundings— Relief Watches- -Off Stuart's lsland--The 
Stock of Dogs- -Civilized Costumes--A Volcanic Region— A Hunting Party from the Jeannette--A 
Russian Bath--The Fanny A. Hyde--A Forced Treaty with the Canines- -Visited by Tchuktchis— De 
Long's Dispatch. 

CHAPTER LXXXIII. 

The Jeannette Enters the Arctic- -Arrives at Kolyutchin Bay--First Bear and Seal Killed--The 
Jeannette Firmly Frozen in--Danenhower's Statement- --The Winter Night Begins- -Herald Island in 
Sight— The Jeannette Helpless and Crippled — Conjectures as to the Jeannette's Fate--Continued 
Apprehension. 

CHAPTER LXXXIV. 

Jeannette Relief Expedition in i88o--The Corwm--Capt. Hooper--At Ounalaska--An Impene- 
trable Wall- -A Frightful Scene of Desolation--A Ship Apprehended— The Lotila--A Wreck--The 
Corwin Sights Wrangell Land- -The English Relief Yacht, Eira- -Failure of the Expedition- -Second 
American Relief Expedition- -The Gulnare--An Adverse Report- -Refitted and Manned--A Disas- 
trous Delay- -Further Hindered by the Elements--An Abortive Effort. 

CHAPTER LXXXV. 

The Jeannette in the Extremity of Peril- -Anxiety on Shipboard- -Near Wrangell Land--Chipp's 
Soundings- -Extracts from the Jeannette's Log- -The Ice Bored- -A Party of Explorers — Discoveries — 
A Thick Fog- -The Last Entry in the Log. 

CHAPTER LXXXVI. 

Second Voyage of the Corwin--Her Officers --Enter the Arctic—Struggles to Reach "Wrangell 
Land- -Cruise of the Rodgers- -Commander Berry's Letter- -Land on Herald Island --Burning of the 
Rodgers--The Rodgers Party Board the North Star- -The Eira Again--The Alliance. 

CHAPTER LXXXVII. 

The Jeannette Disappears from Sight--A Plan of Escape- -Parties Detailed — Hardships — 
Making for the Land--Cape Emma- -The 'Three Boat-Loads- -Thaddeus tsland--The Adventure of 
Chipp and Kuehne--A Deer-Hunt--Danenhower's Last Talk with Chipp--No Other Boats in Sight. 

CHAPTER LXXXVIII. 

DeLong's Cutter Reaches the Coast— His Diary of Misfortunes- -Alexai Sees a Hut--Only a 
Mound --The Dog for Supper- -Ericksen's Hands Frozen--Fried Dog Meat--Third Hand Tea—De- 
parting of Ninderman and Noros--The Fortunes of the Whale-Boat's Crew- -Hospitality of an 
Exile--Loss of Chipp- -DeLong's Diary Closes--Death of Most of the Party- -Danenhower's Story. 

CHAPTER LXXXIX. 

The Loss of the Jeannette Proclaimed—Melville Starts in Search of DeLong--His Plan — Mel- 
ville Finds the Bodies of DeLong and Party— Gilder's Story- -Their Common Grave — No Traces of 
Chipp— The Survivors Return Home- -Caskets Forwarded- -Formal Examination of Danenhower and 
Melville- -Schemes to Reach the Pole—Polar Scientific Congress. 




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



The J eannette Crushed in the Ice. (Frontispiece.) 

Norse Viking 21 

Norse Ships. (Full Page.) 25 

Stone Tower at Newport 28 

Columbus' First Sight of Land. (Full Page.) 31 

Christopher Columbus 32 

Columbus Under Arrest. (Full Page.) 33 

Sebastian Cabot. (Full Page.) 36 

Jacques Cartier. 39 

Frobisher Passing Greenwich. (Full Page.) 44 

Portrait of Frobisher 40 

Codfishing on the Banks of Newfoundland. (Full Page.) 48 

Sir Walter Raleigh 55 

Mock Suns as Seen by Barentz. (Full Page.) Oi 

Henry Hudson 74 

View on the Hudson 75 

Cape Horn 90 

Landing of the May Flower ... 93 

Building a Boat. (Full Page.) 100 

Tchuktchis Building a Hut. (Full Page.) 122 

Esquimaux House. (Full Page.) 127 

Stranded Whale. (Full Page.) 134 

William Scoresby 1 50 

Sir John Ross , 162 

Dorothea and Trent. (Full Page.) 163 

Sir William Edward Parry 169 

Mock Suns. (Full Page.) 1S1 

Group of Children. (Full Page.) 192 

Sir John Franklin 199 

Fort Enterprise. (Full Page.) . - ..209 

Dr. Richardson's Adventure with Wolves. (Full Page.) 213 

Perrault Dividing his Store. (Full Page.) 217 

Skeleton of Mammoth. (Full Page.) 224 

Baron Von Wrangell 231 

Siberian Dog-Sledge. (Full Page.) 233 

Attacked by Bears. (Full Page.) . . 247 

Sea Bears of Siberia ,. 259 

Dress of Native . , « 26S 

An Arctic Scene. (Full Page) 270 

Esquimaux Snow Village. (Full Page.) --273 

Iligliuk 279 

Esquimaux Fishing. (Full Page.) 2S4 

Esquimaux Child's Dress. 293 

Sun at Midnight, (Full Page.) 299 

Arch in Arctic Regions. (Full Page.) 315 

Sleigh Drawn by Single Reindeer 322 

Mussel Bay 325 

Plan of Arctic Sledge. (Full Page.) 327 

Kitchen at Fort Reliance 350 

The Terror Nipped in the Ice. (Full Page.) 355 

XIV. 



ILLUSTRATIONS XV 

Page. 

Samoyed Chieftain. (Full Page.) 367 

Bust of Franklin. (Full Page.) 37c; 

Esquimaux of North America 386 

Bear Attacked by wolves. (Full Page.) 393 

In a Lead. (Full Page.) 401 

Perils of Sledge Travel 413 

Arctic Hares 424 

H. M. S. Intrepid Iced in. (Full Page.). ... 428 

Cutting Ice Docks. (Full Page.) 435 

Relics of Franklin. (Full Page.) 436 

Arctic Tools 445 

Arctic Plant (actual size) 447 

On Beechey Island 452 

Shooting Seals 458 

FiskerN/ES. (Full Page.) 477 

Dr. E. K. Kane. (Full Page.) 483 

Smith's Sound , 494 

Glacier Seen by Kane 498 

Kane in Winter Quarters. (Full Page.) 501 

William Morton , „ ..510 

Watching for a Seal , 518 

Catching Birds 520 

Kalutunah, an Esquimaux Chief. (Full Page.) 523 

Hans, Wife, and Relatives. 528 

Off to the Open Sea. „ 530 

Statue of Franklin. (Full Page.) 542 

Charles Francis Hall 547 

Capt. Sidney O. Buddington 553 

Innuit Woman's Head Dress 569 

Ophiurid of Northern Seas. (Full Page.) 579 

Ebierbing, Tookoolito, and Child. (Full Page.) 583 

Dr. I. I. Hayes. 591 

Brother John's Glacier 601 

The Little Auk 604 

Point Isabella 619 

Whale Sound. (Full Page.) 620 

Devil's Castle. (Full Page-) 625 

East Greenland Village 633 

Encounter with Walruses. (Full Page.) 638 

Highest Point Achieved by the Polaris 642 

Burial of Hall .„ . L . 645 

Grave of Hall 647 

Capt. George E. Tyson 653 

Group of Survivors of Tyson's Raft. (Full Page.) 654 

Perilous Situaton of the Polaris 659 

Start of Payer's Sledge Expediton. (Full Page.). 665 

Transporting Wood for the House 667 

Fall of Sledge. (Full Page.) . . . 670 

Discovery Bay 6m 

Grave of Lieut. Irving 689 

Prof. A. E. Nordenskiold 692 

Samoyed Encampment. (Full Page.) 695 

The Cloud Berry. 702 

Dwarfed Trees in Siberia 703 

Barentz' House, Exterior and Interior. (Full Page.) 705 

Samoyed Sledge 707 

Arctic Hair-Star „ 712 

Star-Fish of Northern Waters 714 

Christmas Eve on Board the Vega. (Full Page.). , 723 

Auroral Display Seen from the Vega. (Full Page.) 726 



XVI. ILL USTRA TIONS. 

Page. 

The Jeannette in San Francisco Bay. (Full Page.) 742 

Lieut. George W. DeLong 749 

The Jeannette Passing Golden Gate. (Full Page.) 751 

Jerome J. Collins 756 

Lieut. John W. Danenhower 769 

Lieut. Charles W. Chipp 782 

William M. Dunbar 785 

Burning of the Rogers. (Full Page.) .... 798 

Parliament House at Reikiavik 801 

Arctic Sledge 804 

Dr. J. M. Ambler , 806 

Departure of Ninderman and Noros. (Full Page.) 808 

Raymond L. Newcomb 811 

Geo. W. Melville , 816 

Exterior of Convict Hut in Siberia 821 

Group of Survivors of Jeannette Expedition. (Full Page.) 825 

Melville Finding De Long and Party. (Full Page.) 828 

Grave of De Long and Party. (Full Page.) 831 

Jeannette Search Expedition 830 

Commander Cheyne's Plan for Reaching the Pole 833 

Map of Polar Regions. (Full Page.) 835 

TAIL PIECES 

Three Ships 28 

Head of Native 51 

Head of Native , 57 

Sledge Party 68 

Native on Snow Shoes 81 

Greenland Pilot 94 

Gulls 104 

Iceberg in 

Sledge Party 119 

Dragging the Boat 124 

Gothic Iceberg 167 

Arctic Dress 1S7 

OOMIAK 203 

Camp Life 219 

Head of Tchuktchi 228 

Seal-Skin Cup 256 

Child's Sledge 265 

ewerat, a sorceror 277 

The Walnut Shell 295 

Bale of Pemmican. 310 

Esquimaux Knife 330 

A Great Auk 345 

Esquimaux Mother. 379 

Head of Walrus . 387 

Head of Esquimaux Dog 414 

Head of Reindeer 431 

The Arctic Owl 4^9 

Esquimaux Spear 459 

Caught in a Trap 488 

Arctic Aquatics 496 

Dog Shoe 505 

Kane's Favorite Dog 512 

Esquimaux Woman's Knife , 533 




PART I. 



NEARLY EXFLIIHEHSj 




" When swords are gleaming you shall see 
The Nor s ema^ s face flash gloriously, 
With looks that make thefocman reel; 

His mirror from of old ivas steel. 
And still he wields in battlers hour 

That old Thorns hammer oj Norse power; 
Strikes with a desperate arm of might, 

And at the last tug turns thefght, 
For never yields tJie Norseman. " 



CHAPTER I. 

CONCEPTIONS OF THE ANCIENTS VOYAGE OF PYTHEAS DISCOVERS 

THULE ORIGIN OF THE NORSEMEN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT 

A CAREER OF PIRACY — GREENLAND AND ICELAND COLONIZED 

INCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OF NORTH AMERICA. 

Although with the discovery and colonization of Greenland and Ice- 
land by the Norsemen, practically begins our knowledge of the Arctic 
seas, the secrets of the hidden North had long been a favorite theme of 
speculation. The fruitful imaginations of the ancients attached marvel- 
ous features to this mysterious region. 

It was the region of darkness, but as in the succession of events day 
sprung from night, so in their thought did light and its benefits emanate 
from the North. Here the Hindoos located the dwelling-place of their 
deities, where those divine beings veiled their godlike attributes in 
misty obscurity. Here dwelt the gods of Scandinavia ; and from here 
they directed watchful eyes to guard and protect the interests of their 
worshipers. When the Aurora Borealis shed its soft light over the 
frosty earth, dispelling with its radiant glory the gloom of night, then 
the simple minds of the people discovered in the sky the dreadful shapes 
of their gods, and trembled and rejoiced. 

Thus, too, the father of history relates how the Hyperboreans — " of all 
the human race, the most virtuous and happy, dwelt in perpetual peace 
and delightful companionship with the deities, under cloudless skies, in 
fields clothed with perpetual verdure, where the fruitful soil yields twice- 
yearly harvests, its blest inhabitants attain extreme old age, and at last, 
when satiated with life, joyfully crown their heads with flowers, and 
plunge headlong from the mountain steeps into the depths of the sea." 

But all this belongs to tradition and song rather than to history. 

The happiness we crave is instinctively located in some far-off, unattain- 

19 



20 VOYAGE OF PYTHEAS. 

able place, and the existence of this tendency may explain the facts 
above recorded. All the certain knowledge which nations of antiquity 
had of northern territories may be very briefly summarized, for as yet 
compass and sextant were unknown, and the few intrepid adventurers 
that dared at all to brave the fury of the sea, did so almost blindfolded, 
and at the peril of their lives. The Tyrians and Phoenicians had left 
their native shores to find in other regions, the wealth which their own 
rugged coasts yielded so scantily. Carthage had been founded on the 
coast of Africa ; and the Greeks, in the traditional voyage of the Argo, 
had wreathed themselves with glory and given a subject for many a 
pleasing song ; but none as yet had ventured to try the dark regions of 
the North, and its secrets remained its own, to be unlocked by the 
genius and bravery and invention of more modern times. 

Thus, all records by northern historians of the events occurring 
before the Christian era may be set down as mythical or uncertain ; for 
classical antiquity exhibits a very obscure notion of the geography of 
Europe beyond the German Ocean. This is illustrated in the fact that 
the ancient Greeks and Romans considered Scandinavia an island, or 
cluster of islands in the Northern Seas ; and other ideas, equally erroneous, 
suffice to show the obscurity in classic times which clothed this unex- 
plored region. 

The first, and for a long time the only voyage to northern regions, 
recorded by any nation of letters, was made by Pytheas of Marseilles — a 
Greek colony in France. 

The date of Pytheas, who was the most celebrated navigator of his 
time, is approximately placed at 330 B. C, making him about contem- 
poraneous with Alexander the Great. He is the only explorer of the 
pre-Christian period, who, so far as we may judge from authentic 
records, at all approached in spirit the heroes of modern .navigation. 
Regarding his birth and the circumstances of his private life we have 
little or no trustworthy information ; but what is more important to us 
in this connection, we kn©w that he explored the Northern Seas of 
Europe. The ancient geographers, like conservative pedants of a more 
recent period, professed to place little reliance on his statements. BoJ.h 



DISCOVERS THULE. 21 

Polybius and Strabo treat him with the utmost severity and ridicule, 
and mention his accounts as absurd and incredible — a proceeding quite 
customarily following any important discovery on land or sea, in mind 
or matter, philosophy or art. "Absurd " has echoed through the ages, " 
as the response of the ignorant to what has been contrary to their pre- 
conceived notions. 

Modern writers are inclined to set more value on the accounts of 
Pytheas, as well as on all of the best known ancient writers. We 
gatner that he sailed through the English Channel, and, after leaving 
Britain, a voyage of six days to the North brought him to an island 
which he called Thule, where he says the sun never descends below the 
horizon for a certain period at the summer solstice. This statement 
would apply to Iceland, -but the incredulous are supposed to identify 
his island with one of the Orkneys, because it seems unlikely that Pyth- 
eas could have reached Iceland in six days. In Greek enumeration, 
as in our own, an error of transcription is very easy ; and it is more 
rational to look for a mistake there than to reject a fact of observation 
which is certainly not applicable to the Orkney Islands ; these, more- 
over, are several in number, and are so close to the mainland, as not 
properly to fall under the description of being six days' sail from Britain. 
Some have thought that he had come upon a portion of Norway or 
Denmark, but the evidence of this is not conclusive. He visited, some 
island at least, and probably named it from his native telos, meaning the 
goal or the farthest point. 

Pytheas afterward entered the Baltic, and reached a river which he 
called Tanais, which critics believe to be the Elbe. Here he found a 
people who made use of amber instead of wood, and as that substance is 
still found in large quantities in Prussia, there is little doubt that he must 
have visited that part of Europe. He gave an account of his voyages in 
two works — " Description of the Ocean " — which contains his voyage to 
Thule, and " Periplus," or circumnavigation. He seems to have been 
the first to determine the latitude of a place from the sun's shadow, and 
the first to suspect that the tides are influenced by the moon. It is safe 
to say that he had more of the spirit of discovery and observation than 



ORIGIN OF THE NORTHMEN 



his untraveled, though scholarly, critics, and with the light of modern 
research and the aid of modern appliances, such a spirit would doubtless 
have done much to unravel the tangled skein of northern mysteries. 

The true inception of Arctic discovery has already been referred to 
the Norsemen, whose developments and achievements we may now do 
well to consider. 

VOYAGES OF THE NORSEMEN, 

The Norsemen, or Northmen, were known to the ancients as Scan- 
dinavians, a more distinctive and appropriate designation which again 
bids fair to become current 
in our own day. Some 
words are like fashions in 
clothing, they are discarded 
for a time, but in a genera- 
tion or two are once more 
brought into use because of 
some special appropriate- 
ness or utility. Every town, 
city, county, state, nation, 
or other geographical dis- 
trict may have its North- 
men, but Scandinavians or 
Norsemen are a special 
class of Northmen. Norse- 
men is to be preferred for 
its terseness, and because 
Scandinavian has an appearance of being sometimes used in a more 
limited sense than is here proposed. The original horde from which 
they sprung seems to have been among the last of the swarms 
which migrated from the highlands of Central Asia, the original home of 
the Indo-European or Aryan family of races. In those early days when 
they began to look around them for a new home, they found by their 
migratory experience, if not otherwise, that their elder brothers, the, Per- 




NORSE VI -KING. 



SEA-LIFE OF THE NORSEMEN. 23 

sians, Greeks, Latins, Celts and Sclavs, had seized the southern and cen- 
tral portions of Asia and Europe, and there remained but the lands of the 
inhospitable North. These they overspread, subduing the earlier inhab- 
itants, the stunted and swarthy Finns of the great northern peninsula. 
This was an overland migration, and the immigrants had no knowledge 
of ships. 

In the eighth century of our era they had so increased and multiplied 
that they might be said to have been compelled to renew their travels, 
this time by water. Meanwhile they had learned to build and use ships. 
The cold hillsides of their native land had been brought into rude culti- 
vation to supplement the more fertile plains. But still they grew and 
multiplied and necessity taught them to find in their inlets and bays a 
valuable addition to their stores of food. Fishing, the natural introduc- 
tion to seafaring, is calculated to produce hardy and dexterous seamen. 
And we find that the Norse leaders and their crews, when they sprung 
into the foreground of mediaeval history, were bold and skillful mariners, 
brave and active fighters, and ever ready to face danger in pursuit of 
spoils. They were more than a match for the agricultural, manufactur- 
ing and commercial nations round about them. Their agriculture was 
scant, and of trade and manufacture they were ignorant. If to these be 
added the all-pervading influence of a religion which taught that death in 
battle was but a passage to the happy immortality of Valhalla, we have 
a combination of the conditions necessary to form a conquering people. 
As is usual in the early history of nations, they are found divided into a 
number of tribes or clans under petty kings or chiefs. At the actual 
period of their historic inroads they were just passing into the more pre- 
tentious form of consolidated monarchies, with the chiefs of the old reg- 
ime crystalizing into the hereditary nobles of the new, a<nd especially of 
the rank known in their language as jarls, in ours, earls. Though polit- 
ically subordinate to the sovereign, these earls retained much of their 
former power in their relations to those beneath them. Whether by the 
term vikings we are to understand these chieftains — as if" vice-kirrgs" — 
or, as seems more probable, " fiord-folks," it is certain that leaders and 
people alike were enterprising and brave. 



24 PIRACY. 

It was soon found that the relatively luxurious and effeminate deni- 
zens of southern lands could be easily induced by a little show of violence 
to purchase their lives by the surrender of a portion of their wealth, or 
be made easy victims to the hardihood and daring of those 

" Grim vikings, who found rapture 
In the sea-fight, and the capture, 
And the life of slavery," 

to which they reduced such as were not rich enough to pay a ransom. 

The Norse vikings, with no wealth but their ships, no hope but their 
swords, swarmed upon the ocean, plundered every district they could 
approach, and for several centuries spread blood, rapine and misery over 
the nations of Europe. All their habits, feelings and associations were 
ferocious. They regarded phacy and plunder as the most honorable 
method of securing wealth. Raw flesh was a toothsome delicacy, pity 
was -weakness, and tears were unmanly. They relieved the monotony 
of the regular occupation of killing and plundering adults by a sort of 
sportive game in which they tossed from lance to lance, with "wonderful 
dexterity and precision, helpless infants wrenched from the arms of their 
slaughtered mothers. They knew no glory but the destruction of their 
"enemies" or victims. When they fell upon a district they not only 
robbed it of its accumulated wealth, but destroyed the growing crops 
with ruthless barbarity. Peaceful, prosperous and civilized communities 
had a very special value as a rich harvest to be gathered all the more 
easily because of the refinement of the owners. 

With the exception of the warlike Franks inured to "war's alarms 
and encouraged by a long array of military successes under their great 
Karl (Charlemagne), Europe lay at the feet of the freebooters of the 
North. To do them justice, however, or rather to enforce the law 
which impels man to postpone the hazard of his life until all peaceful 
means of support are exhausted, we call the reader's attention to the fol- 
owing fact. Before entering on a career of piracy, the Northmen had 
sought to peacefully colonize the cold, inhospitable regions of Iceland 
and Greenland, as well as the more genial but circumscribed regions of 




25 



26 GREENLAND AND ICELAND COLONIZED. 

the Faroe, Shetland, and Orkney Islands. It was an age when the neces- 
sities of a surplus population appealed to the law of the strongest. Our 
more civilized methods of piracy do not so harrow human sensibilities, 
but the law of " might gives right," may still be traced by any one 
given to reflection. 

At first the marauders paid only flying and stealthy visits to unpro- 
tected coasts; but afterward, emboldened by success, and strengthened 
by the accessions which the fame of their exploits and the resulting 
harvests of booty brought to their support, they made deeper inroads; 
and finally effected permanent .odgments in Russia, England, Ireland 
and France. In Russia they were known as Varangians, that is, " sea- 
warriors," who gave a king and dynasty, Rurik and his successors, to 
that country. In England and Ireland they were known as Danes; and 
in France as Normans, where they became possessors of Normandy, 
whence too, under their Duke William, their descendants invaded and 
conquered England in 1066. 

Their first permanent settlements in the Faroe, Shetland, and Orkney 
Islands are supposed to have been made about the middle of the ninth 
century. In Iceland the date is more authentic, being placed by the best 
authorities in A. D. S74. The accidental discovery of Greenland fol- 
lowed two years later, but no effort at colonization seems to have been 
made until 985, two years after its re-discovery by Eric the Red. Ice- 
land became self-governing in 928, and remained independent until 1387, 
■when it submitted to the king of Denmark and Norway. Greenland 
"prospered" for several centuries, receiving its first bishop in 1121, and 
its last one in 1406. The population was decimated by the " black 
death" — and that of Iceland, also — and it could no longer support the 
expensive luxury of a bishop. With the bishop, in 1409, doubtless went 
the annalist of the colony, as there is no further record of Greenland for 
nearly two hundred years. The truth probably is that as only the pres- 
sure of over population at home could have reconciled them to an abode 
in dreary Greenland and frozen Iceland, so when that was removed by 
the " black death," which swept off 25,000,000 of the population of 
Europe in three years (1348-51), there were no new accessions, and the 



INCIDENTAL DISCOVERT OF NORTH AMERICA. 27 

more enterprising and active of the survivors in both colonies may have 
found more congenial homes among their kindred in Europe. 

Besides these authentic voyages of the Norsemen to Greenland and 
Iceland, there are some alleged voyages to the latter made by more 
southern navigators. There is a story of the Zeni brothers, of Venice, 
who are said to have explored those Northern seas, and to have discov- 
ered certain northern islands, one of which is conjectured to have been 
Iceland. And it is even possible that Columbus himself visited those 
latitudes fifteen years before his great discovery; for in one of his letters 
is found this statement: "In 1477 I navigated one hundred leagues 
beyond Thule." A favorite identification of the Thule of Pytheas of 
Marseilles has been with Iceland; but it is thought that mediaeval 
writers may have rather inclined to identify it with the largest of the 
Shetland Islands. 

An incidental result of the discovery and colonization of Iceland and 
Greenland referred to above, was the discovery of the continent of North 
America, and some of the smaller islands along the coast, although, as 
is well known, this fact led to no very permanent results. Biarne 
Herjulfson is said, by tradition, to have sailed from Iceland for Green- 
land, in 986 A. D., but on account of fogs and north winds, lost his 
course and came upon the coast of a strange land, which he sighted at 
different times in a northern direction. It is thought that he came upon 
the Atlantic coast of North America, perhaps at Newfoundland or 
Labrador, and sailed along it until he arrived at the colony of Eric. He 
did not land, however, until Greenland was reached. 

In the year 1000 this discovery was repeated by a son of Eric the 
Red, who, with thirty-five men, explored the coast of North America 
for a long distance from north to south. After landing at a spot sup- 
posed to have been Labrador, he sailed to the south, and discovered a 
pleasant country, which was called Vinland, from the abundance of 
grapes found upon it. Here they spent the winter, and two years later 
Thorwald, another son of Eric, visited the place and discovered Cape 
Cod. After this Vinland was quite extensively colonized from Green- 
land and was variously visited by Norse voyagers. The colony was 



28 



SUPPOSED RELICS OF THE NORSEMEN. 



supported for a few years, but owing to the fierce attacks of the natives, 
the enterprise was finally abandoned. A son born to Karlsefne, the head 
of the Vinland colony, was the first child born to European parents on 
American soil; his ^S^PPl^ Iceland, then the 

mother was the Illis^ abode of princely 

beautiful and brave wmfflT^Q'-' Scandinavians, with 

"The boy was Rl^^yA^Kff'" ,' '21 armed followers." 

named Snorri, and Jlal#ilBs!to? W ' IS 1 ^ol m:mv relics of 

in his noble man- i | l /^-BJIl those settlements 

■■ ^ : !'•.:'■ -i i. ] . .'i: .'< main, i ! i.;m_> h n 

guished families of stone tower, at Newport. old stone tower at 

Newport, Rhode Island, and the inscription upon Dighton Rock, which 
lies upon the bank of Taunton River, are memorials of the visits of these 
Northmen. 

Such a beginning, then, had the series of adventures to whose de- 
scription this volume is devoted — adventures which, made in the cause 
of science, and requiring the highest degree of manly courage, must 
thrill all with their dangerous and desperate character. 




CHAPTER II. 

PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH DISCOVERIES PORTUGUESE VOYAGES 

TO NORTH AMERICA VORACITY OF THE SPANISH RESULTS OF 

COLUMBUS' DISCOVERY VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS FIRST 

VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD VOYAGE TO LA PLATA FRENCH 

VOYAGES. 

The gradual way in which the maritime enterprise of the Portuguese 
led them to the discovery of the ocean route to the East Indies, marks 
the distinctive character of their voyages. The final result was the slow, 
deliberate and laborious outcome of several previous adventures carried 
on in a systematic manner. To Prince Henry, surnamed the navigator, 
because of his patronage of these enterprises, Portugal was largely in- 
debted for her early naval supremacy among modern nations. 

Madeira was discovered in 1420; Cape Bojador was passed in 1439; 
and Cape Verd in 1446. The Azores were discovered in 1448 ; the 
Cape Verd Islands in 1449, and St. Thomas in 1471. In 1481 the Pope 
granted to the crown of Portugal all the countries which the Portuguese 
might discover beyond Cape Bojador. In i486 Bartholomew Diaz, 
while on an expedition to explore the west coast of Africa, was driven 
by high winds to the mouth of the Great Fish River, actually, but un- 
consciously, doubling the most southern point of Africa. On his return, 
in 1487, he named the headland Cape Tarmentoso. In 1497 Vasco da 
Gama doubled Cape Tarmentoso, which he named the Cape of Good 
Hope, and in 1498 arrived in India. By this discovery of an ocean route 
to India, the trade of the East was diverted from the old channel of the 
Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and the commerce of the world was 
revolutionized. 

Early in 1500 Pedro Alvarez de Cabral, on a voyage to the East 

Indies by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, fell in with the land now 

29 



30 CORTEREAL— COLUMBUS. 

known as Brazil, and promptly took possession of the same for the crown 
of Portugal. Two Portuguese voyages to North America, under Gaspar 
Cortereal, in 1500 and 1501, left no memorable incidents, except his cruel 
kidnapping of natives on the first, and his own disappearance on the 
second. A third voyage, in 1503, under Miguel Cortereal in search of 
his brother Gaspar, resulted in a similar disappearance; and Portugal 
never gained a foothold in North America. The success of Da Gama 
and Cabral had found a more profitable outlet for Portuguese commerce 
and colonization, and their various enterprises in South America, West 
and South Africa, and the adjacent islands, as well as in the East Indies, 
afforded ample scope for all the surplus energies of prince and people. 
Before dismissing Portugal from the field of observation, we would re- 
mind the reader of the well known voyage of Magellan, a Portuguese 
in the service of Spain, in 1520, and the discovei'y of the straits called 
by his name — a southwest passage to India, or rather to the islands of 
the Pacific and to Australia. 

SPANISH VOYAGES. 

The greatest and most wide-reaching in influence of all the voyages 
of discovery, was that of Columbus, in 1492, in search of a western pas- 
sage to India. His great discovery was not like so many of the preced- 
ing ones, an accidental happening or a lucky hit, nor the direct conse- 
quence of other explorations immediately preceding, as was Da Gama's ; 
but the result of an intellectual conception carefully elaborated and found- 
ed on geographical data. Any number of discoveries by storm-driven 
Norsemen or cod-fishing Bretons, or adventurous Welshmen — were the 
facts established beyond all doubt — could not rob Columbus of the pecu- 
liar glory of his great achievement. 

By birth a Genoese, but failing of proper encouragement at home 
and in other countries to which he had submitted his projects, Columbus, 
then in the service of Spain, sailed from the port of Palos to find a 
western passage to India, and in ten weeks came in sight of land. 
The now old and fmiiliar stoiy will not be repeated here, as only its 
influence and bearings upon later voyages farther north, come within 




COLUMBUS FIRST SIGHT OF LAND, 



32 



SPANISH EXPLORATION OF NORTH AMERICA. 



the scope of our work. He died fourteen years later, in poverty and 
neglect, after four voyages to the New World, still under the impres- 
sion that he had reached some portion of India by a western route. 
Within fifty years of his discovery, the geographical knowledge in the 
possession of mankind 
was doubled ; and the 
foundations of modern 
accuracy and fullness in 
that regard were deeply 
laid. 

PORTUGUESE AND j 

SPANISH EXPLORERS. % 




CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 



Spanish navigators in 
great numbers followed 
in the wake of Colum- 
bus, some originally his 
subordinates and asso- 
ciates, others not spec- 
ially connected. When 
the way is opened by 
genius, talent is ever 
ready to step in and gather results. Ojeda, Vespucius, Pinzon, Bastides, 
Balboa, Grijalva, De Solis, De Leon, De Cordova, Cortes, De Ayllon, 
Pizarro, Almagro, and many others, increased the area of Spanish ex- 
ploration and conquest in America, and, it might be said, added to the 
infamy of their cruel oppression and heartless enslavement and depopu- 
lation of the native races, in Central and South America, in Mexico 
and the West Indies. The Spanish exploration of North America by 
Gomez, in 1524, led to important results, but was signalized by the cus- 
tomary Spanish barbarity to the natives, several of whom were kid- 
napped and sold into slavery, making the venture commercially profit- 
able, but moraily infamous. And so it hath ever been — 

" Regard of worldly muck doth foully blend 
And low abase the high, heroic spirit. " 




38 



34 RAPACITY OF SPAIN. 

The wealth which Spain wrenched with heavy hand from the luck- 
less natives who fell under her sway, was lavished in wasteful luxury and 
expensive wars. Like others, her growth would have heen more solid 
and her prosperity more enduring had she been content with fair returns 
from her American possessions. But her voracious greed and atrocious 
cruelty plucked out the eyes of the New World — and her own. Mexico 
and Peru were extinguished, their civilization destroyed, and their wealth 
confiscated by the unwise, as well as cruel, policy of her conquerors. 
Liberty and justice are the two pillars of national prosperity which no 
violence of brute force can pull down, and which alone can defy the 
assaults of internal and external foes. After nearly four hundred years 
of mistaken policy, a new generation of nobler sons have begun to guide 
the ship of state on wiser principles. 

After the discovery of America by Columbus, and the recognition that 
the land surface of the globe had been considerably enlarged by a long 
stretch of territory, the width of which, however, was not ascertained till 
long afterward, the search for a passage through it to the Indies was not 
relinquished. In 15 13 Balboa had found the " South Sea," now the 
Pacific Ocean, and after having with immense labor, patience, and perse- 
verance, built some vessels on the Gulf of Panama — "iin enterprise no 
leader save he could have carried to a successful issue " — he cruised on its 
waters beyond St. Michaels. But his premature death at the hands of 
his rival Davila, of Darien, in 151 7, deprived him of the opportunity of 
further exploration. The reports sent by Balboa to Spain in relation to 
the great wealth of the regions south of Panama inflamed the zeal and 
avarice of the Spaniards, and manv expeditions were organized with a 
view to exploration and conquest. In their search for gold they enlarged 
the area of geographical knowledge, but their destruction of the civiliza- 
tions of Mexico and Peru has robbed humanity of an inheritance for 
which that is no recompense. That would eventually have been reached 
without their aid, but the loss referred to can never be repaired. 

One of. the first results of Columbus' discovery of the New World 
was the re-discovery of North America. The English " Society of 
Merchant Adventurers," was established in 1358 under the name of "The 



CABOT DISCOVERS NORTH AMERICA. 35 

Thomas ;\ Becket Society," and the whole body of English traders were 
eager to share in the commerce of India, China and the East generally. 
The Pope had early granted, almost as soon as the discovery was fully 
authenticated, a sort of monopoly of the advantages of the Eastern dis- 
coveries to the Portuguese, and of the Western to the Spaniards. By a 
bull of 1493 the meridian of 100 leagues west of the Azores was estab- 
lished as a line of demarcation between the two powers. By the treaty 
of Tordesillas, in 1494, and a confirmatory bull in 1506, the line was ex- 
tended to the coast of Brazil, or 375 leagues from the Azores. The 
adjoining country inland, extent unknown, was understood to follow the 
fortunes of the coast. The method of division was unscientific and un- 
fortunate, but as far as other nations "were concerned it was supposed to 
cut them off from all share in the great discoveries of the period. The 
English were determined to find, if possible, a solution which, while it 
would not formally antagonize the high authority of the Pope — at that 
time an accepted and important element in international law — would let 
them into a substantial share of the results. This was the origin of the 
celebrated theory of a Northwest Passage to India and Cathay, or China, 
which will be more fully treated in a succeeding chapter. 

In pursuance of this theory the Cabots, John and Sebastian — father 
and son — sailed with three vessels, in 1497, fr° m Bristol, then the lead- 
ing commercial port of England. They virtually discovered North 
America, as it is not known that the discovery of the same region some 
500 years before, had any influence on their course or its results. As 
nearly as can be now determined, the region actually discovered, and 
which they loosely designated by the name of " The Land First Seen," 
was Labrador. Though not signalized by large immediate results, and 
in a commercial sense unprofitable, this voyage was one of the most mo- 
mentous in the history of the world. It was the corner-stone of Eng- 
land's colonial system and indirectly of the greater glories of the 
American Union, with its incalculable contributions to the elevation and 
progress of mankind. Our minds cannot grasp the immensity of these 
results, but the effort to seize the dim outlines of the mighty fabric will 
amply repay. 




SEBASTIAN CABOT. 



36 



SECOND VOTAGE OF CABOT. 37 

In a second voyage, about a year later, Sebastian Cabot, in command 
of two vessels and 300 men, explored the coast from Labrador to Chesa- 
peake Bay, perhaps to Florida. He named Newfoundland and noted 
the great numbers of codfish to be found on its banks — a discovery, 
however, in which he had been anticipated, it is thought, by the fisher- 
men of France. He reached latitude 58 °, and perhaps higher, but en- 
countered so much floating ice, though it was in the month of July, that 
he concluded to return to England. Nothing more is heard of Sebastian 
Cabot until 15 12, when he entered the service of Spain, where he re- 
mained until the death of his patron, Ferdinand V., in 15 16. Soon 
afterward he is again found in the service of England, being given the 
command of an expedition to Labrador, in 1517, by Henry VIII. To 
the cowardice or malice of an associate, Sir Thomas Perte, is usually 
attributed Cabot's failure in this third voyage to North America. But 
it can hardly be just to attribute it to such a cause. Complete success 
was impossible at that early stage — step by step man progresses. He 
explored what is now Hudson's Bay, ascending to 67 30', and naming 
several places. Dissatisfied with the result, or influenced perhaps by the 
dissatisfaction of his principal, Cardinal Wolsey, who was at that time 
emphatically " the power behind the throne, " and far more interested 
in finding a passage for himself to the papacy than in promoting the 
efforts of the merchants of London to discover a route to India, or for 
some cause not clearly ascertained, Cabot left England and re-entered 
the service of Spain. The unexampled prestige of its young king 
Carlos, elected emperor under the historic name of Karl or Charles V., 
in 1519, may have inspired Cabot with the hope of securing in that pow- 
erful quarter the necessary patronage for his cherished project, the 
Northeast Passage. It is said that he had secured a favorable hearing 
from the late king for that fantastic dream, but in England the North- 
west Passage was still in the ascendant. He was appointed pilot-major 
of Spain, and was for some years engaged in quietly discharging the 
duties of that office, for which his exact knowledge of detail and large 
experience in naval matters from his boyhood, specially qualified him. 
With Cabot we turn again to Spain and its maritime enterprises. 



38 VOYAGE OF MAGELLAN. 

FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD. 

Fernando Magalhaens or Magellan ( 1470-152 1), a Portuguese nav- 
igator, had attained some distinction in the service of his country in the 
East Indies, and had taken part in the conquest of Malacca in 15 11. 
While serving under Albuquerque he had made a voyage to the Mo- 
luccas or Spice Islands, which he afterward learned were within the 
jurisdiction of Spain as established by papal adjudication and the treaty 
of Tordesillas. In 151 7 he opened bis project of finding a West 
passage to the Moluccas, to Charles V. of Spain, and an agreement 
was entered into, March 22, 15 iS, whereby the King was to defray the 
expenses, and receive the lion's share of such commercial advantages as 
should accrue. Magellan received command of five vessels and 237 men 
for the expedition, and having finally got all things in readiness, he 
sailed for the New World in 1519. The expedition had to struggle 
against bad weather, insubordination and mishaps of various kinds, the 
details of which would be foreign to this stage of our narrative. Ma- 
gellan discovered and traversed the Strait called by his name in 1520 ; 
and was killed in battle with the natives of one of the Philippine 
Islands, in 1521. His subordinate, Sebastian del Cano, completed the 
voyage, reaching Spain Sept. 6, 1522, lacking fourteen days of three 
years since the departure of Magellan. 

CABOT'S VOYAGE TO LA PLATA. 

Cabot conceived the project of reaching Peru by a more direct route 
than that discovered by Balboa from Panama, or by Magellan through 
the Straits which are called by his name. He secured the command of 
an expedition to explore the La Plata, in 1526, and search for a South- 
west Passage to the South Sea or Pacific Ocean, and thence to the East. 
In 1527 he ascended the La Plata 120 leagues, and discovered Para- 
guay. He was feebly sustained by the home government, and returned 
to Spain in 1531. As with the cardinal in England, so with the emper- 
or in Spain, the pre-occupation of more congenial pursuits dwarfed the 
interest in maritime exploration, and Cabot concluded to again try Eng- 
land, whither he went, in 1548. He perhaps hoped to be able to in- 



FRENCH VOTAGERS. 



39 



terest the vigorous and enterprising Duke of Somerset, protector of 
England, in his now favorite project. He was created inspector of the 
navy, and instructor of the young King Edward VI. in the nautical 
science of the day, where we will leave him, while we call atten- 
tion to another branch of our subject. 

FRENCH VOYAGES TO NORTH AMERICA. 

During the fifty years succeeding the discovery of America by Co- 
lumbus, Cabot, and Vespucius, France was too deeply involved in Euro- 
pean wars to give much attention to maritime discovery. Louis XII. 
(149S-1515), Francis I. (1515-47) and Henry II. (1547-59), successive- 
ly ■ struggled with coast of North Amer- 
Austria for the pos- , jfflk- ^Sth. ica. After the peace 
session of Lombardy. A, j^z^m^' of Cambray, Francis 
The defeat of Francis ^L, /' ; . ,',';,' '"l*fl — failing to find, as he 
at Pavia, in 1525, by ^Kiris 'nrv \ said, any clause in 
throwing the nation : ^^^-^|^^^fe^i' Adam's will disin- 
into financial and po- ^^^s^^^-x-^^^^^w^i, heriting France in 
litical disorder, put an :^|||V j < •■- < - mm ami 
end to Verrazzano's x^ pik \ Portugal — renewed 
otherwise successful -C^N^V^^ilP^^s ^* s m t eres t m Ameri- 
exploration of the jacqjjes cartier. can explorations. In 
1534 he sent out Cartier, who discovered the Gulf and River of 
St. Lawrence, and in a second voyage, in 1535, ascended the river to 
what is now Montreal, where he . wintered peacefully with the 
natives. In two other voyages (1541-1543) he maintained the most 
friendly relations between the French colonists and the Indians. Pont- 
grave in 1599, De Champlain, from 1603 to 1635, De Monts (1604) 
and other French explorers of North America followed the example of 
Cartier, or the natural instincts of their race, in the humane treatment of 
the American Indians, winning a place in their good graces -which no 
other Europeans have been able to reach. The story of these events, 
however, belongs to the history of colonization, not to that of Arctic 
voyages, but being the most northerly voyages of the period which left 
abiding results, they are at least worthy of brief mention. 



CHAPTER III. 

SEARCH FOR NORTHEAST PASSAGE VOYAGE OF CHANCELLOR EN- 
TERPRISE OF MUSCOVY COMPANY. 

In the meantime Cabot had elaborated his pet scheme of reaching 
India by a Northeast Passage, evidently having no adequate conception of 
the extent or configuration of the north coast of Asia. But however 
ludicrous it may now appear, the project led to important results. It 
opened the way to commercial relations with Russia, then starting out on 
an independent career; and it has also exerted great influence on the his- 
tory of Arctic voyages. 

Under the auspices of Cabot and his royal patron, the search for the 

Northeast Passage was now begun. In 1553 three ships were fitted out 

at the expense of the " Merchant Adventurers of London, 1 ' and under 

the superintendence of the aged Cabot. The vessels were named Buona 

Speranza, or Good Hope; Buona Confidencia, Good Confidence; and 

Buona Ventura, Good Success; and were commanded, respectively, by 

Sir Hugh Willoughby, Cornelius Durforth, and Richard Chancellor. 

The squadron sailed on the 20th of May, 1553, but at the Loffoden 

Islands, or after rounding the North Cape, they became separated, and 

the Buona Ventura entered the White Sea, till then unknown to European 

navigators. The other two held together some time longer, drifting 

around between the north coast of Lapland and the Arctic Island of 

Nova Zembla. Before the close of the year the " Confidence " returned 

to England, having become separated from her consort in another storm. 

The ensuing year some Russian fishermen found the Good Hope 

hemmed in by ice at the mouth of theDwina, in Lapland, and her entire 

crew frozen to death. Willoughby's journey had closed with January, 

1554, and that was no doubt the date of their destruction — the first of a 

long series of victims to the severity of Arctic seas, and their own inex- 

40 



WRECK OF THE BUONA VENTURA. 41 

perience. Had they been skilled in the resources of the north, they 
could have protected themselves against the severity of the weather by 
laying in a stock of the mossy turf or peat, for fuel, and have secured by 
hunting, ample provisions to sustain them through the winter. The in- 
telligence of the most advanced nations must be combined with the hard- 
ihood and experience of the rude inhabitants of the North before Arctic 
exploration can be other than a useless sacrifice of human life. 

Chancellor, more fortunate, reached the mouth of the Dwina, and 
landed at the monastery of St. Nicholas, near where Archangel was 
founded in 1584. Notwithstanding the hardships of the journey, Chan- 
cellor proceeded to Moscow, the residence of the sovereign, who was no 
other than Ivan IV., Vasilievitch II., that is, son of Vasil or Basil, and 
surnamed " The Terrible." Some ten years before he had changed the 
modest title of Duke of Russia for that of czar and autocrat. However 
well Ivan may have deserved his surname because of his excessive cru- 
elty to his enemies, the Tartars, and his abuse of unrestrained power 
over his subjects, he was quite gracious to the English navigator. It was 
in reality a " good venture " for both parties — the merchant adventurers 
of London and the autocrat of Russia. 

The realm of Ivan was strictly continental and the trade with West- 
ern Europe was through the dominion of his enemies, the Poles. Chan- 
cellor therefore received every encouragement to renew his venture, and 
obtained an excellent market for his waives. He returned to England in 
1554, and the next year made a second voyage to Saint Nicholas, with 
four ships and accompanied by two agents who made an advantageous 
treaty with Ivan. On the return voyage, accompanied by a Russian 
ambassador to England, he lost one ship on the coast of Norway, and a 
second in quitting the harbor of Droutheim. He "was soon afterward 
driven by a violent storm into the Bay of Pitsligo, in Scotland, where the 
Buona Ventura was wrecked. He succeeded in getting the ambassador 
into a small boat with himself, but the boat was upset and the navigator 
drowned, while the inexperienced landsman escaped with the loss of 
some wares and gifts which he was taking to England. 

In 1556, the Muscovy Company — as the Merchant Adventurers of 



42 VIEWS REGARDING NORTH COAST OF ASIA. 

London were now called— pdispatched the Serchtrift in command of 
Stephen Burrough, who had served as pilot, or sailing master, of the 
Buona Ventura in 1553, to make further search for the Northeast Passage 
and the mouth of the Obi. Burrough reached the strait between Nova 
Zembla and Vaigats Island, now known as Kara Gate or Strait, but was 
driven back by the ice and returned to England. Burrough wrote an 
account of his voyage. 

It was thought that the promontory forming the eastern cape of 
the Gulf of Obi was the northeast corner of Asia, and that therefore 
Nova Zembla and the Kara Strait were distant only some 400 miles 
from the east coast of Asia. In this view the great geographer of the 
day, Mercator, concurred; and this naturally gave fresh impetus to the 
unavailing search. But the best authorities are liable to err, even in the 
line of their special investigation. 

" I do not know," says Milton, " what I may seem to the world, but 
to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, 
and diverting myself in now and then finding a smooth pebble, or a 
prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undis- 
covered before me." 

All attempt to explore the route to Asia by the way of the White 
Sea and the Gulf of Obi was now abandoned for nearly a generation, 
and English enterprise was again directed to the Northwest Passage, 
which they had given up in 151 7. This change in the direction of ex- 
periment is the best evidence of the strong hold the problem had taken 
of the public mind. England had as yet no hope of becoming mistress 
of the ocean, and she wished to have a route to the East which would be 
less exposed to the attacks of an enemy's fleet. It is thus that a great 
part of a nation's efforts and resources are wasted in preparing to defend 
itself against the hostility of other sections of the human family. 



CHAPTER IV. 

SEARCH FOR NORTHWEST PASSAGE RESUMED FROBISHER's LOAD OF 

GOLD TWO VOYAGES OF GILBERT GILBERT SHIPWRECKED — '- 

HAWKINS, THE SLAVE-TRADER DRAKE SAILS AROUND CAPE 

HORN. 

It was almost fifty years since the failure of Cabot, when Martin 
Frobisher succeeded in again turning the British mind toward the 
Northwest Passage. In 1576 Sir Humphrey Gilbert published his 
" Discourse to Prove a Passage by the Northwest to Cathaia." This 
was the year of Frobisher's first expedition, but he had been some years 
laboring to secure the acceptance of his views; and Gilbert's pamphlet 
shows the bent of public opinion rather than the source from which, as 
has sometimes been alleged, Frobisher received his inspiration. It is 
more probable that his fifteen years' pleading with the merchants and 
nobles of England for aid to enable him to attempt the execution 
of what he called " the only great thing left undone in the world," was 
the origin of the " Discourse." 

Frobisher had at length found a patron in Ambrose Dudley, Count 
of Warwick, and a favorite of Queen Elizabeth; and set sail on 
the 8th of June from Deptford, now a part of the city of 
London, with three vessels, two of which were only of twenty- 
five and twenty tons burden, the third a man-of-war; or as others say, 
with three small barks of 35, 30 and 10 tons. As he moved down the 
Thames he was graciously saluted by the queen from her palace at 
Greenwich. The smallest vessel 'went down in the first storm, as might 
have been expected, and all her crew perished. The second returned to 
England, while the largest, under the immediate command of Frobisher, 
safely reached the coasts of Greenland and Labrador. After coasting 

around the Savage and Resolution Islands, he entered the strait which 

43 " 




44 



ALLEGED GOLD— SHIPWRECK. 45 

he named after himself, and which is so called to this day, near 63 ° 
north. He was hindered by the ice from extending his voyage farther, 
but before returning to England he went ashore and took possession of 
the country for Queen Elizabeth, and established some slight but friendly 
intercourse with the natives, whose land he named Meta Incognita, that 
is, Unknown Boundary. 

Taking with him some dark, hard stones, the luster of which 
was erroneously attributed to the presence of gold, he set sail 
for England, where he was enthusiastically received. The report 
that Frobisher had brought back some gold-bearing stones inflamed the 
public mind; and there was no danger that he would be compelled to 
languish another fifteen years, waiting for patronage. A second expe- 
dition, with three vessels of goodly size, was soon made ready and set 
sail under his command in May, 1577. At the entrance of Frobisher 
Strait his passage was again blocked by the ice, but he took aboard 200 
tons of the " precious ore," and returned to England with the blissful 
consciousness of having made a prosperous voyage. In 1578 a fleet of 
fifteen vessels were placed at his disposal, and he hastened away before 
Portugal or Spain should learn of the great " find" that was destined 
to dwarf the treasures they were draining from the East and West 
Indies. 

" The best laid schemes o'mice and men 
Gang aft a-glee ; 
And leave us naught but grief and pain 
For promised joy." 

One of Frobisher's largest vessels was crushed by an iceberg at the 
entrance of the strait, and forty lives lost, while the whole fleet was 
strained and injured by the ice floe. It had been intended to establish a 
military colony of 100 picked men, and to build a fort for the protection 
of the rich surface deposit that Frobisher had the good fortune to have 
discovered lying around loose on the shoi-e of his famous Meta Incognita. 
On a survey of the situatiou it was found that a considerable part of the 
wood destined for the fort would be required to repair the injured ships; 
and as the effective force of men had been seriously diminished by the 



46 



FROBISHER-'S HOPES DESTROl'ED. 



losses already sustained, it was thought best to abandon that project. 
We may well imagine that the dreary, desolate and forbidding aspect of 
the country, in a season of excessive severity, would so chill the ardor of 
those who were to be left behind, that they took counsel of their fears, 
and preferred to return with the fleet while they had the opportunity. 




PORTRAIT OF FROBISHER. 



The dreams of Frobisher, and other sanguine participators in his delus- 
ion, were rudely dissipated on his return to England, when it was found 



GILBERT TAKES POSSESSION OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 47 

that his tons of pi'ecious ore were so much worthless stone, brought 3000 
miles to swell the rock piles of England. His last voyage had been the 
severest of the three, and the 500 tons brought home, while they might 
have compensated for the sacrifices and trials, had they proved valuable, 
were but an aggravation of the general sense of injury felt by the people 
of England at the bursting of Frobisher's bubble. Ten years later Fro- 
bisher redeemed his name from any obloquy that might otherwise have 
attached to it because of the great and almost ludicrous disproportion be- 
tween his sanguine anticipations and the meager results. In the contest 
with the Spanish Armada, in 1588, he was captain of the Triumph, and 
did such signal service in the discomfiture of the arrogant Spaniards, that 
he was knighted for his bravery. All honor to Sir Martin, and a genial 
smile for his quaint conceif that the finding of a Northwest Passage was 
the only thing of note left undone in the world. It was found a genera- 
tion ago, yet the array of notable things still undone, wonderfully sup- 
plemented as they have been by discoveries and inventions never dreamed 
of by honest Sir Martin, remains substantially undiminished, for " the 
thoughts of men are widened with the process of the suns." 

TWO VOYAGES OF GILBERT. 

Sir Humphrey Gilbert, already referred to, received from the queen in 
1578, a patent to make discoveries in North America, and to take pos- 
session of any part found unoccupied. In 1579 he sailed for the New 
World with the purpose, as is generally supposed, of colonizing New- 
foundland, but this opinion is based mainly on what is known of his sec- 
ond attempt. One of his vessels was lost, but he arrived safely in 
England. Four years later he resumed the undertaking under more en- 
couraging auspices, but with a more disastrous issue. " On the eve of 
his departure," says Bancroft, " he received from Queen Elizabeth a 
golden anchor guided by a lady, a token of the queen's regard." He 
sailed with five vessels and 260 men, and arriving in Newfoundland, dis- 
covered by Cabot in 1497, ^ ie proceeded to take formal possession in the 
queen's name, and issued leases to such of his company as desired them. 
But the spirit of colonization, with its hard work and slow results, was 



FIRST ENGLISH SLA VE-TRADER. 49 

absent; and he soon proceeded with his whole company to search for 
silver mines. Soon the largest ship was wrecked through the negligence 
of the crew, and most of those on board were lost. Gilbert now con- 
cluded to return to England with what remained. On the voyage a 
severe storm arose, and he was earnestly entreated to take refuge in the 
larger of the two remaining vessels, from the little bark of only ten 
tons in which he had set out for the coasting voyage. His reply has be- 
come historic, and has elicited much admiration for the calm intrepidity 
it displays. It savors, however, fully as much of fatalism as of piety, 
and though his action may be regarded as heroic in declining to abandon 
his associates, the principle implied in what is itself a mere truism, is 
more poetic than praiseworthy. The scene is thus described, with all 
proper accessories: 

" The general, sitting abaft with a book in his hand, cried out to 
those in the ' Hind ' : ' We are as near to heaven by sea as by land.' 
That same night about twelve o'clock the lights of the ' Squirrel ' sud- 
denly disappeared, and neither the vessel nor any of its crew were ever 
seen again." 

HAWKINS, DRAKE AND CAVENDISH. 

These three were famous English navigators of the period we have 
now reached, being contemporaries of Davis. But as they were chiefly 
engaged in combating Spanish domination on the ocean, they hardly 
come within the scope of this work. In prosecuting their paramount 
purpose of crippling Spain, they contributed tome little to geographical 
knowledge, and on that account deserve passing mention. 

Sir John Hawkins has the bad distinction of being the first English 
slave-trader, and in pursuing that infamous business he became familiar 
with the west coast of Africa. He suffered heavy loss in an encounter 
with a Spanish fleet in 1567, which closed his "commercial" career, 
but gave him the opportunity of winning distinction by his services 
against his personal and national enemies. He helped to rout the Span- 
ish Armada in 1588, and for the rest of his life, to 1595, his efforts were 
directed against Spanish trade with the West Indies. His voyages in 
4 



50 DRAKE'S RECEPTION BT INDIANS. 

those waters increased the sum of knowledge in relation to that portion 
of the American coast. , 

Sir Francis Drake was with his kinsman Hawkins, in 1567, when 
they were overwhelmed by the Spanish fleet, and like him had his na- 
tional antipathies influenced by the sense of personal loss. From 1570 
to his death, in 1595, he did his utmost to spread havoc among the Span- 
ish-American fleets, and was frequently successful. In 1572 he gained 
a view of the Pacific Ocean, from the Isthmus of Darien. In 1578 he 
sailed through the Straits of Magellan and plundered the coasts of 
Chili and Peru. He sailed north to 48 ° in the hope of finding the 
Northwest Passage on the Pacific side. Failing of that expedition, he 
returned to what is now San Francisco, which had been previously dis- 
covered by the Spaniards. He took possession of the country for the 
Queen of England and named it New Albion, and spent several weeks in 
friendly intercourse with the natives. He gives this account of his re- 
ception : 

" When we landed they appeared to be greatly astonished, and 
showed us great respect, thinking that we were gods, and they 
received us with a great deal of reverence. As long as we remained on 
shore they came to see us, bringing us bunches of beautiful feathers of 
all colors, and sometimes tobacco, which the Indians regard as an herb, 
and make great use of. Before approaching us they would remain at 
some distance in a respectful attitude, then, making a long . harangue 
according to their custom, they would lay down their bows and arrows, 
and approach, offering their presents. The first time they came they 
were accompanied by their women, who remained at some distance; but 
they commenced to scratch their cheeks and tear their flesh, making 
signs of lamentation, which was altogether inexplicable, but we after- 
ward learned that it was a form of sacrifice or offering whiph they made 
to us." 

Leaving California, Drake crossed the Pacific to the Moluccas, 
and thence returned to England by the Cape of Good Hope, visiting 
many points, most of them previously discovered, and reached home, 
Nov. 3d, 1580, after an absence of nearly three years, being the 



CAVENDISH PLUNDERS THE PACIFIC COAST. 



51 



first English circumnavigator of the globe. He afterward took an active 
part in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and in the English ravages on 
Spanish commerce in the West Indies. He was so engaged with 
Hawkins in the last voyage of both in 1595. 

Thomas Cavendish, or Candish, was also engaged mainly in con- 
flicts with the Spaniards on the sea; and in 15S7, with three small ships 
fitted out at his own expense, he wrenched much plunder from the 
Spanish settlements on the Pacific coast of South America. The towns 
of Paraca, Cincha, Pisca, Paita, and the island of Puna, were made to 
disgorge over $3,000,000. At Aguatulio he seized a Spanish galleon, 
or treasure-ship, with $122,000 and other booty on board. He then 
proceeded to the Philippine Islands and l'eturned home by the Cape of 
Good Hope, arriving at Plymouth, Sept. 9, 1588. He was the 
second Englishman to make the voyage around the world. In 1591 he 
set out again with five vessels, but failed in his efforts to replenish his 
wasted wealth, and died in 1593 before reaching the English coast. He 
is credited with having rendered some services to the sciences of geogra- 
phy and hydrography. 




CHAPTER V. 

DAVIS SENT OUT TRADES WITH NATIVES OF GREENLAND GREAT 

DANGER IN THE ICE PASSES HUDSON'S BAY RALEIGH IN 

SEARCH OF GOLD DISAPPOINTMENT CONFINED IN THE TOWER. 

Notwithstanding previous disappointments — so tenacious is the pub- 
lic mind of an idea once ardently embraced — the London merchants 
could not entirely abandon the hope of finding a passage to Cathay. 
Once more, after a respite of seven years, several of them " cast in their 
adventure" and dispatched Captain John Davis, in 1585, with two ships, 
the Sunshine and the Moonshine, of fifty and thirty-five tons respect- 
g ively. Though the El Dorado of Labrador- had disappeared in the 
flumes of the assayer of Frobisher's ore, there was yet no invincible dem- 
onstration that a Northwest Passage could not be found. They probably 
felt, as men have often felt before and since, that if they had not allowed 
themselves to be diverted from their original purpose b}' the gold mania 
of 1576-8, the route to China might have been laid bare, and the wares 
of the East brought to London by way of Labrador. It was worth an- 
other effort; and so they sent out Davis, a navigator of unquestioned 
ability; and with a refinement of thoughtful attention supposed to be for- 
eign to the minds of mercenary traders, they furnished him with a band 
of music — the number and kind of instruments not stated — " to cheer 
and recreate the spirits of the natives." Cunning traders, had they 
learned that to bewitch the natives with music was a good investment 
toward getting furs cheap? 

July the 20th, forty-three days out, Davis discovered what he 
named the Land of Desolation, which is a much more appro- 
priate designation than the misnomer Greenland, which it bears. In 
Gilbert Bay he traded advantageously with the natives, giving glass 

beads and other trinkets for valuable furs. A few days afterward, allured 

52 



DAVIS ARRIVES IN GREENLAND. 53 

doubtless by the music of the band so thoughtfully sent forward by 
their London sympathizers " to recreate their spirits," and of which the 
first lot of native traders had spread the fame far and near through the 
camps of the Esquimaux, no less than thirty-seven canoes surrounded 
the English ships. On the 6th of August they came in sight of a high 
mountain — the Sukkertoppen — and sailing still northwest they reached 
land at 66° 40' free from " the pesters of ice, and ankered in a very 
fair rode." Davis thought he had reached the entrance to the sea which 
communicated with the Pacific Ocean. He explored the region of Cum- 
berland Sound and the entrance to Frobisher and Hudson Straits, giv- 
ing names to the Bay of Tatness, and to the Capes Dyer and Walsing- 
ham, and returned to England. 

In 1586 Davis was put in command of four vessels — the two of the 
previous voyage, together with the "Mermaid" and the "North Star." 
On June 29, when fifty-three days out, he again reached Greenland, 
at 64 , whence he sent the "Sunshine" and "North Star" along the 
east coast to seek a passage farther north, while with the other two he 
proceeded to follow up his investigations of the previous year on the 
west side through the strait called after his name, advancing as far as 
69°. The ice was found more massive than on the previous year. One 
great field was encountered in the middle of July which it took thirteen 
days to pass. The wind from off the ice so froze the ropes and sails, 
that his men became discouraged and pathetically admonished him that 
" by his over-boldness he might cause their widows and fatherless chil- 
dren to give him bitter curses." He thereupon retraced his course, and 
after some further exploration of the region of Cumberland Sound and 
a conflict with the Esquimaux, in which three of his men were killed 
and two wounded, he returned to England, unsuccessful but hopeful. 
He wrote to a friend that he had reduced the discovery of the Northwest 
Passage almost to a certainty. 

May 15, 15S7, he left London with the " Sunshine," "Elizabeth," 
" Dartmouth " and " Helen, " and arrived on the coast of Greenland, 
June 15th. This expedition was fitted out on the express condition 
that the expenses should be lightened by fishing whenever practicable. 



54 IMPORTANCE OF DAVIS' VOYAGES— RALEIGH. 

For this purpose two of their vessels were left near the scene of their 
former explorations, while with the others he pushed forward in Baffin's 
Bay as far as 72 ° 12', naming the highest point he reached Sanderson's 
Hope, in honor of his chief patron — falling short of the latitude of Uper- 
navik about half of one degree. Again stopped by the ice and forced to 
go back, he made some further explorations lower down. He passed 
the entrance to Hudson Bay, and failing to find the two vessels at the 
appointed rendezvous, he returned to England whither they had pre- 
ceded him. Though undaunted, and hopeful of final success, he could not 
secure an outfit for a fourth trial, and was compelled to relinquish the 
project. The results of his voyages were important geographically, 
but the English merchants were more affected by the financial aspects, 
as their ardor had been effectually chilled by six successive disappoint- 
ments in twelve years. 

VOYAGES OF RALEIGH. 

It is not as the founder of the Roanoke Colony, in America, nor as 
soldier in France or Ireland, nor yet as a favorite of the Queen of Eng- 
land, or member of the British Parliament, nor even as one of the most 
renowned and remarkable men of his age, that Sir Walter Raleigh 
finds a place in this history of great navigators. His two voyages to 
Guiana and persevering attempts to find the El Dorado of the age, the 
fabled paradise of gold-seekers, entitle him to a place in the list. 

On the 9th of February, 1595, Raleigh sailed from England with 
five ships and 100 soldiers, besides seamen, officers, and some gentlemen 
volunteers, on his first voyage to Guiana. 

Arriving at Fastaventura in the Canaries, he took on board fresh 
supplies of water, and after a stay of four days, proceeded to Teneriffe, 
where he was met by one of his captains. Waiting eight days in vain 
for the appearance of Captain Brereton, he sailed for Trinidad, where 
he met Whiddon, another of his captains. De Berreo, Spanish com- 
mander of Trinidad, suspicious of the designs of Raleigh, forbade, under 
pain of death, all intercourse with the English. Raleigh landed under 
cover of night with 100 men, burned the town of St. Joseph, and took 



RALEIGH ASCENDS THE ORINOCO. 



55 



Berreo, with some of the principal inhabitants, aboard his vessel as 
prisoners. He was here joined by two vessels of his squadron under 
command of Gifford and Knynin. They proceeded at once to the 
mouth of the Orinoco, and after passing through a number of islands at 




■' : kit f> ill ) \v !>'<! • ' > 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 



its mouth, ascended the river a distance of 400 miles. He failed to find 
Manoa, the city of gold and gems, unsurpassed in grandeur and magnifi- 
cence, and in comparison with which, the riches of Mexico and Peru 
dwindled into insignificance. All this and more, Raleigh learned from 
his Spanish captives and Indian visitors. To which they kindly added — 



56 RALEIGH CONFINED IN THE TOWER. 

it costs but little to enlarge, when one draws on his imagination for 
facts — that there was no winter at Manoa, and no sickness ; that the soil 
was excellent ; that there was abundance of game ; and that the songs 
of birds filled the air with a perpetual concert. The emperor of Manoa 
was, however, a mighty potentate, and Raleigh with his handful of men 
would be foolhardy to attempt to cope with him. His people were high- 
ly civilized and jealous of their immense treasures — within their 
territory there existed a mountain of gold — and it would be rash to at- 
tack them. Raleigh felt otherwise, and pressing his Indian informant 
to act as guide, he was astounded to learn from his lips that Manoa had 
been submerged and was then under water, as was no doubt the golden 
mountain. He might have added that it was the native version of the 
story of Atlantis, as paraphrased from what they had heard from the 
Spaniards or other visitors. Though Raleigh may not have believed all 
that he had been told, it is clear that these marvelous stories had their 
influence upon his imagination and judgment, for*he says : 

"Some may perhaps think that I am enthusiastic and visionary; but 
why should I have undertaken this enterprise if I was not convinced 
that this land of Guiana was a country abounding in gold? Whiddon 
and Milechappe, our surgeon, have brought me many precious stones 
which resemble sapphires. I have shown these stones to many people 
in Orinoco, who have assured me that there is a mountain full of 
them." 

He returned to England before the close of the year 1595, but through 
all the honors as well as trials which intervened between his first and 
second voyages, he does not seem to have lost the hope of making rich 
discoveries on the Orinoco. Upon his release from the Tower in 161 5, 
after a confinement of thirteen years, we find him at once busying him- 
self about an expedition to Guiana. He sailed in 161 7 with thirteen 
vessels and a considerable body of men, for the expectation of great re- 
sults ran high, and his personal popularity had been much increased 
through sympathy for his undeserved punishment. Arriving on the 
coast of Guiana, he dispatched an exploring party up the Orinoco. At 
St. Thomas they encountered the Spaniards and were driven back with 



RENEWS THE SEARCH. 



57 



loss, among others that of the eldest and favorite son of Raleigh. Nor 
had they heard anything further of the sapphire or gold mountain, or of 
the city and people of Manoa. On their return, Raleigh sailed for New- 
foundland to refit and revictual, purposing to renew the search, but his 
men mutinied and insisted on sailing back to England, where they 
arrived in July, 161S. Raleigh, broken in spirit and fortune, soon found 
that his English enemies were as unrelenting as his Spanish foes; and 
through their united efforts consent to his execution on the old sentence 
was obtained from the weakly compliant James I. 




CHAPTER VI. 

VOYAGES OF THE DUTCH NORTHEAST PASSAGE AGAIN BARENTZ 

REACHES ORANGE ISLANDS GERRIT DE VEER SICKNESS AND 

DEATH SURROUNDED BY BEARS AND FOXES REAPPEARANCE 

OF THE SUN BURIAL OF BARENTZ VOYAGE OF VAN NOORT 

FIGHT WITH PATAGONIANS DEFEAT THE SPANISH. 

This brave, enterprising, and industrious people had scarcely suc- 
ceeded in establishing- their independence, when they began to turn 
their attention to the question of the age — another route to India. In- 
deed, that independence was not yet acknowledged by their late masters, 
and the formal recognition of the right of the Netherlands to a place in 
the family of nations, was stubbornly resisted by their oppressors until 
1609. The narrow limits of the "Seven Provinces" naturally impelled 
them to seek a position among maritime States. And as the southern 
avenues to the coveted commerce of the East were controlled by Spain, 
they were driven, like the English, to search in northern latitudes for a 
route to China. Their first efforts were directed to the exploration of 
the Northeast Passage. And as a practical convenience toward the ex- 
ecution of that project, they proceeded to establish trading posts at Kola, 
in Lapland, and at Archangel, in Russia. The failure of the English to 
penetrate the Straits of Kara suggested the idea of going to the north of 
Nova Zembla, in which they were encouraged by the counsels and sug- 
gestions of Peter Plaucius, an adept in the nautical science of the day, as 
well as a distinguished theologian and astronomer. 

THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE AGAIN. 

In 1594 the merchants of Amsterdam, Enkhuysen and Middelburg 
fitted out a squadron of three vessels to institute a search for the North- 
east Passage. The command of these they gave to Cornelius Corne- 

58 



BARENTZ REACHES ORANGE ISLANDS. 59 

lizoon, Brant Ysbrantzoon, and Willem Barentz, of whom the last 
has become the most famous. They left the Texel on June 6th, with 
Barentz in command of the "Mercury." Having reached the coast of 
Lapland, they proceeded eastward toward Nova Zembla, where they 
divided. Barentz, keeping to the west of that island, struck toward 
the north; the other two continued in the same direction as before until 
they reached what they called Vaigats (Wind-hole) Strait, south of 
Kara Strait, from which it is separated by Vaigats Island. It was this 
Kara Strait that the English had found impassable by reason of the ice 
gorge which they there encountered. The Dutch, more fortunate in 
having gone farther south, and in experiencing a more favorable season, 
made their way through, though with the utmost difficulty. 

Arriving at the eastern entrance of the strait, they saw to their great de- 
light a fine expanse of blue open sea stretching to the horizon, now known 
as the Gulf of Kara. Finding, too, that the land to their right receded 
rapidly to the southeast, they felt triumphant. They had solved the 
great problem; the promontory they had just doubled could be no 
other than the famous Cape Tabis of Pliny, and but four hundred miles 
of sea separated them from Canton, in China. They did not know 
that they were distant from the northeastern point of Asia 120°, or 
one-third of the whole circumference of the globe. Entirely satisfied 
of the immense value of their discovery, they hastened back full of 
patriotic enthusiasm for the fame and profit of their young country, to 
enable the government to take proper measures for securing the fruits 
of their prodigious success. Meanwhile Barentz had doubled Cape 
Nassau and, July ioth, encountered great fields of ice, through which 
he fought his arduous way until he reached Orange Islands at the 
north of Nova Zembla, latitude 77 °, early in August. He ascertained 
the latitudes of several points with rare precision for those days, and 
proceeded to make the homeward voyage. On his way he met his 
former companions on the coast of Lapland, and the disgusted Barentz, 
with the exultant Brant and Cornelius, returned together to the Texel. 

The merchants of Rotterdam now combined with those of the 
three cities interested in the former venture, and together they fitted 



60 LOCKED IN THE ICE. 

out six vessels for a second voyage, laden with wares for the Eastern 
market. This squadron was placed under the supreme command of 
James Van Heemskerke, with Barentz as chief pilot. To it was added 
a yacht, the sole duty of which was to serve as a dispatch boat to 
bring back the tidings that the fleet had safely entered the Gulf of 
Kara. But merchants and voyagers were doomed to disappointment. 
The Vaigats Strait was found impassable, being blocked by huge 
masses of ice which defied the continued efforts of the determined mar- 
iners. Finding that the impossible would not yield to their wishes or 
exertions, they sadly retraced their course, and arrived in the Texel, 
Sept. 1 8, 1595, with feelings quite different from their predecessors' of 
the previous year. 

Yet another trial was decided upon, and May 16, 1596, two vessels 
were sent out under command of Heemskerke and John- Cornelizoon 
Rijp or Ryp, with Barentz again as pilot, and Gerrit de Veer, who 
became the historian of the voyage, as mate. Passing the Shetland and 
Faroe Islands, they encountered ice on the 5th of June before reaching 
Bear Island, where they landed on the nth, and which they so named 
because there they had found and killed a bear. On the 19th they discovered 
the land which they named Spitzbergen, and which they supposed was 
a part of Greenland. They explored the west coast for a considerable 
distance to the north, but were compelled by the ice to fall back on Bear 
Island. Here the vessels separated, Heemskerke and Barentz slowly 
making their way through the ice toward Nova Zembla, having heard 
that from the highest points of Orange Island the open sea had been 
seen to the southeast. 

On the 1 6th of July they reached the west coast of Nova Zembla, 
then known to western navigators as Willoughby's Island. Pro- 
ceeding northward they doubled Cape Nassau on the 6th of August, 
and the Orange Islands some days later. Having reached the 
same latitude previously attained by Barentz in his first voyage, they were 
compelled by the ice to turn south on the eastern coast, where they soon 
became ice-locked in a small harbor, latitude 75° 43', in which they had 
taken refuge. " The cakes of ice, " says De Veer, " began to pile up 



M,j {-.,!;, ', ', ,. i i;,!; 1 ,!!!;^' i '■■: ■i;; 1 !,!,, 1 ', 1 ,' ;,i , j; i,n! ' ij ;;',.,.■'., nl'.S, , .■.■.'' ■ r , '|,r.! ,i : .., 

■ if' '.' ' ' '■>.' ' 




\m 



''■£»» 



61 



62 DE VEER— DISAPPEARANCE OF THE SUN. 

around the ship on all sides, and pressed against it so closely, that it com- 
menced to crack and give way, and it seemed as if the vessel would 
break into a thousand pieces ; and when the ice moved it pushed 
and raised the ship as if some huge machine were elevating it in 
the air." 

Giving up all hope of extracting themselves from the ice, they pro- 
ceeded to effect ,a landing, and transport provisions on shore for a 
winter's sojourn in that inhospitable region. A few days later some 
of the men discovered a river some nine miles in the interior, on which 
they found floating a considerable quantity of wood. They also found 
tracks of the bear and the saiga, a species of antelope. A quantity of 
driftwood, probably from Siberia, was found on the shore, and they were 
enabled to build a warm cabin, large enough to hold them all, besides 
having abundant firewood, " for all that cold winter, which we knew," 
says De Veer, " would fall out to be extremely bitter." They were sev- 
enteen in number, and under wise, careful and competent leadership. 

By the 23d of September the ground had frozen so hard that they could 
not dig a grave for their deceased comrade, the carpenter, who, though 
he would have been specially useful in the construction of their winter 
quarters, was the first to succumb to the rigor of the climate. They 
buried him in a cleft in the rocks. On the 2d of October their house was 
completed, some of the ship's furniture being used in its construction. 
As they grew apprehensive that the vessel would soon go to pieces, they 
began to sleep ashore on the 12 th of October; and soon after they 
carried ashore everything that could be of use to them. They began 
immediately to reduce the daily rations, fearing their supplies would not 
hold out. A chimney was erected reaching to the top of the house, and 
a place was reserved near the central fire-place for a sick comrade. On 
broad shelves, or bunks around the walls, they placed their beds, and 
from a large cask they extemporized a bath tub, the surgeon insisting on 
cleanliness as absolutely necessary to the preservation of health. The 
sun soon disappeared entirely, and they had fairly entered on the long 
and dreary winter. " We looked pitifully one upon the other," says De 
Veer, " being in great fear that if the extremity of cold grew to be more 



MERRIMENT IN DANGER. 63 

and more, we should all die there of cold, for that what fire soever we 
made, would not warm us." 

A Dutch clock transferred from the ship helped to remind them of 
home, as well as to mark the slow march of time. The house was soon 
covered with snow several feet deep, and to get out they had to tunnel a 
pathway. During one period of adverse winds for four days the fire 
would not burn, and the ice grew two inches thick on the sides of their 
bunks, while their clothes were thickly covered with frost. In a short 
time they began to be surrounded by bears and foxes, who threatened to 
tear the roof off the house; and the foxes learned to climb down the 
chimney. They trapped several of these, and shot some bears, the skins 
of both proving a great help in warding off the intense cold. They 
used the flesh of the foxes for food, but through some unaccountable 
prejudice they failed to utilize the more valuable bear's-meat, which 
would have been a great preventive of the scurvy, from which they 
suffered. 

Early in December a violent storm arose, blowing from the northeast 
and producing intense cold, when they made a great fire of coal, which 
they brought from the vessel. Closing every crevice, and even the 
chimney, to retain the genial warmth, they soon began to complain of 
dizziness, whereupon one ran to open the door and another the chimney, 
when they recovered. Notwithstanding their constant privations, and 
often intense sufferings in exceptional weather, they labored to maintain 
a cheerful spirit. On January the 5th ( 1597), the eve of Twelfth Night, 
a feast long celebrated throughout all parts of Europe, the}' proposed to 
have a little merriment suitable to the occasion. " We prayed our 
Master," says De Veer, " that we might be merry, and said that we 
were content to spend some of the wine that night which we had spared, 
and which was our share (half a pint) every second day, and whereof for 
certain da} 7 s we had not drunk. And so that night we made merry, and 
drew lots for king. And thereof we had two pounds of meal, whereof 
we made pancakes with oil, and every man had a white buiscuit, which 
we sopt in the wine. And so supposing that we were in our own coun- 
try, and amongst our friends, it comforted us as well as if we had made 



64 REAPPEARANCE OF THE SUN. 

a great banquet in our own house. And we also made trinkets, and our 
gunner was made king of Novaya Zemlya, which is at least 800 miles 
long, and lyeth between two seas." 

January 24th the sun reappeared, and though they lost, the same 
day, one of their number who had been ill all winter, their hopes rose 
higher; and on the 28th, the day being fine, they played a game of ball 
in the bracing northern air. Early in March the ice began to move, but 
they could not yet leave their quarters. April 15th they visited the 
ship, which they found in better condition than they had anticipated. 
May 1st the men thought they might leave, but the more experienced 
Barentz declared they would have to wait a month, as the vessel could 
not be liberated sooner; and that it was doubtful whether she would be 
found seaworthy. In the event of her proving unsafe he. promised 
that they would rig out the two boats for the homeward voyage. On 
the 20th, becoming satisfied that the ship must be abandoned, they began 
with a will to get the boats in readiness. It was, however, the middle 
of June before they took leave of their late residence, and, doubtless not 
without misgivings, trusted themselves to their frail crafts for so long a 
voyage. Barentz inclosed a record of their mishap in. a gun barrel, 
which he fastened to the chimney, that should a search party be sent, 
they might learn their fate. They proceeded by the way they had come 
and in a short time reached Orange Island. 

In the interval, and when only four days out, the boats got hemmed in 
by enormous blocks of ice, and giving themselves up forlost, they silently 
took leave of each other. But De Veer, with the instinct of self-preserva- 
tion, taking the end of a strong rope in his hand, clambered from block to 
block until he reached a large floe, on which they succeeded in getting first 
the sick, then the stores, and finally the two boats safely landed — a feat often 
performed since, but for those days of inexperience it can be regarded as 
nothing less than a brilliant stroke of genius. The boats had been badly 
nipped, and they repaired them as well as they could on the ice floe. Here 
it was that Barentz, and one of the sailors, Nicholas Andrien, died. On 
the 20th of June, while floating northward -with the ice, on the "west coast 
of Nova Zembla, the worthy pilot closed the voyage of his life, dying 



BURIAL OF BARENTZ. 05 

very unexpectedly to the men, though apparently not to himself. " The 
death of William Barentz made us all feel very sad, seeing that he was 
our principal guide and pilot, and one in whom we had every confidence. 
But we could not resist the will of God, and this thought made us calm," 
says the faithful chronicler. 

After committing the remains of Barentz to the deep, and fre- 
quently baling their repaired boats to keep them from sinking, they 
succeeded in reaching Cape Nassau. Hauling the larger boat ashore 
for repairs, she was upset, and they lost nearly all their provisions and 
came very near losing their lives. On the 19th of July they again put 
to sea, and on the 38th they had reached the southern point of the 
island. In the open sea beyond the boats became separated in a fog, 
and did not again meet until they reached Cape Kanine, at the entrance 
to the White Sea. Meanwhile, their scanty stores had been supple- 
mented from time to time by the kindness of Russian fishermen with 
whom they chanced to fall in. This, with rigid self-denial in the use 
of what remained of their original stock, prevented them from dying 
of starvation. They now learned that at Kola they would find three 
vessels of their country getting ready to return to Holland. 

Sending one of their number across the gulf with a Lapp guide, he re- 
turned in three days with a letter signed John C. Rijp, the commander 
of the second ship, from which they had become separated thirteen 
months before. Sept. 30, Rijp followed with a boat-load of provisions, 
and conveyed his countrymen to Kola, and thence to Amsterdam. 
They had been 104 days in performing the trip from their winter 
quarters to Cape Kanine. Four of the seventeen had died; the 
thirteen survivors were welcomed home with much enthusiasm, and 
entertained at the expense of the city until they had received the money 
that was due them. Ten years later, in 1607, Heemskerke received 
the command of a fleet of twenty-six vessels, and lost his life in a naval 
battle with the Spaniards. 

VOYAGE OF VAN NOORT. 
On the 2d of July, 1598, Oliver Van Noort, a young but 
experienced navigator, left Amsterdam with two ships, two yachts and 



66 ATTACKED BY PATAGONIANS. 

248 men. The second in command was James Claaz d'Ulpenda, and 
an able English seaman named Melis, was pilot. The Northwest Pas- 
sage had been sought in vain by the English, and the Northeast one 
by both English and Dutch, with substantially the same result. For, 
although a route had been discovered, it proved impracticable or uncer- 
tain on account of the ice blockade to which it was subject. It became 
necessary then to abandon all hope of share in the profitable traffic 
with the East, or else break up the Spanish monopoly of the southern 
route by the Cape of Good Hope. 

The latter alternative was chosen, and Van Noort, with his little 
band of 248 men, undertook to fight his way to the Spice Islands, if he 
could not succeed in eluding the watchfulness of his enemies. Knowing 
that the route by the Straits of Magellan was the least frequented by 
the Spaniards, he determined on pursuing that course. After touching 
at Goree, they landed on Prince's Island, on the Gulf of Guinea, where 
they lost twenty-one men including the pilot and a brother of Van 
Noort, at the hands of the Portuguese. They discovered Annobon 
Island on Jan. 5, 1599, and sailed thence for the coast of Brazil. Driven 
off by the hostile Portuguese and natives with the loss of seven men, 
they reached a small island off the coast, where they found fresh pro- 
visions and water, of which they were much in need. The admiral's ship 
was injured by being driven on the rocky coast of the Island of Santa 
Clara, and one of the yachts was abandoned for want of men. Noort 
also lost one of his captains, who was buried at Port Desire. Here they 
were attacked by the Patagonians, losing some men, but wreaking a ter- 
rible revenge; they annihilated the whole tribe. This was but a few 
days before the close of the year 1599. Some weeks later they lost one 
of the two larger vessels in a storm, and the squadron was reduced to 
the flag-ship and one yacht. 

But now their fortunes began to mend. They were kindly received by 
the natives of some islands on the Pacific coast which they had reached 
through the Straits of Magellan. The rich settlements of the Spaniards in 
Chili and Peru afforded opportunities for plunder of which Noort and his 
men were not slow to avail themselves. In those days English and Dutch 



BATTLE WITH SPANIARDS. 67 

as well as Spaniards and Portuguese, were guilty of cruelties and outrages 
on non-combatants and their defenseless cities, which would now send a 
thrill of horror throughout the civilized world. Their own men too, on 
the slightest presumption of insubordination or discontent, were treated 
with a barbarism equally inhuman. They nailed them by their hands to 
the masts, abandoned them on desert islands, or — most humane of all 
the penalties known to that bloody period — put them to death. 

It was about the middle of September, 1600, when they bore away 
from the American coast to cross the Pacific. They reached the Philip- 
pine Islands, Oct. 14, where they took vengeance on the Portuguese 
for the slaughter of their comrades. But they were swayed more by a 
spirit of cruelty and rapacity than of retribution for injuries received, for 
even the Chinese junks which they encountered in these eastern waters 
shared the same fate as the ships and settlements of their western ene- 
mies, the Spaniards and Portuguese. In truth, the authorized naval forces 
of those days were but little better than freebooters and pirates, and 
often fell below the standard of the outlawed buccaneers. Finally the 
Dutch fell in with two Spanish ships which gave them battle. In this 
engagement they lost five men killed, and twenty-five taken prisoners, 
and about as many wounded. They also lost one of their ships; but the 
Spaniards lost two hundred men, and their flag-ship took fire and was 
destroyed. Noort, now in command of only a single vessel, had the pecu- 
liar good fortune to fall in with a rich prize, a vessel of the enemy laden 
with a valuable cargo of spices which he captured in the waters of Bor- 
neo. He made all haste to reach home by the Cape of Good Hope, and 
arrived at Rotterdam, Aug. 26, 1601, after a voyage of over three 
years. He was the first of his country to circumnavigate the world; and 
his last piece of success reimbursed his patrons for the outlay incurred. 
But what was of more importance he had shown his countrymen that 
the Spaniards were not more invincible on the ocean than they had 
already found them on the land. The history of this voyage was pub- 
lished the following year, and attracted so much attention that it was 
translated into several languages. Van Noort survived his return at 
least ten years, being on record as late as 161 1. 



68 



VOYAGE OF MsiHU. 



But, although this famous voyage attracted the attention of the world, 
and won great credit for Van Noort among his countrymen for the skill 
and courage he had displayed, it was of little commercial advantage. 
Almost simultaneously with Van Noort's expedition, a squadron of five 
ships, fitted out mainly at the expense of the merchant Verhagen, left 
Rotterdam under the command of James Mahu, with the famous Eng- 
lishman, William Adams, as pilot, and Sebald de Weert as captain of one 
of the vessels. They lingered too long on the African coast, losing 
Mahu and some of the crews. Reaching the Straits of Magellan they 
were detained therein five months by adverse winds, and suffered much 
from scarcity of provisions, and the severity of the climate. They were 
reduced to the necessity of eating raw herbs and shell-fish, which pro- 
duced disease, and added to their misery. Some of the ships finally 
effected a passage into the Pacific, but were dispersed in a storm. Adams 
succeeded in reaching Japan in one of these vessels, with only five men 
able to work on their arrival. His fortune, and that of his companions 
in Japan, possesses much interest, but is foreign to the scope of this 
work. Sebald de Weert, detained in the strait four months longer, 
where, too, Van Noort passed him by without rendering any assistance, 
finally effected his escape into the Atlantic, and discovered the islands 
now known as the Falkland, but which he named the Sebaldine. After 
a tedious voyage homeward he reached the Meuse some time in the year 
1600, with only thirty-five men out of a crew of one hundred and rive. 
This expedition, or the part of it which arrived in Japan, led to the sup- 
planting of the Portuguese by the Dutch in the lucrative trade with that 
country. 





PART II. 



MERELY flRETIE VEYflEES." 




" Up ! zip ! let us a voyage take ! 
Why sit we here at ease? 
Find zcs a vessel tight and strong, 

Bound for the northern seas. 
There shall we see thejierce white bear / 

The sleepy seals agroztnd. 
And the spouting zvhales that to and fro 
Sail with a dreary soundP 

— HOWITT. 



70 



CHAPTER VII. 

FIRST ARCTIC VOYAGE UNDER BENNET KILL MANY WALRUSES 

WALRUSES BROUGHT TO ENGLAND VOYAGE OF KNIGHT IN THE 

HOPEWELL ATTACKED BY SAVAGES VOYAGES OF HUDSON 

FOURTH AND LAST VOYAGE OF HUDSON. 

In 1602 the English renewed their attempts to find the Northwest 
Passage, the search for which had been abandoned after the last voyage 
of Davis in 1587. Capt. Weymouth was intrusted with the new ven- 
ture. Passing through Hudson's Strait, he reached the entrance to Hud- 
son's Bay without disaster; but was driven back by a violent storm and 
returned without achieving any definite result. 

Distinctively Arctic voyages under English auspices began with the 
first voyage of Steven Bennet, in 1603. He sailed with one small ves- 
sel, the "Godspeed," fitted out at the expense of" the worshipful Francis 
Cherie," and laden with a cargo which he was instructed to dispose of 
at Kola, the Dutch trading post in the north of Lapland. After selling 
his goods he was to proceed to the Arctic Ocean on a voyage of discov- 
ery. Bennet complied with his instructions in both particulars. On his 
voyage from Kola northward he re-discovered the island which Ba- 
rentz had discovered nine years before, and called Bear Island. Here 
Bennet found foxes, but no inhabitants, and named the island Cherry 
Island. He determined its latitude to be 74° 30'. He made a second 
voyage thither in 1604, and found it covered with wild fowl and sea- 
horses or walruses. The teeth of the latter were a valuable article of 
commerce, and Bennet's crew endeavored to secure a return cargo of 
them. They cruelly blinded the animals with small shot, and then at- 
tempted to kill them with hatchets. But their cruelty did not avail 
them much, for out of a thousand which they maimed, they killed only 

fifteen. In 1605, being better equipped, they succeeded not only in get- 

71 



72 ENTERPRISE OF THE MUSCOVY COMPANY. 

ting a cargo of teeth, but in boiling the blubber into oil. In 1606, Ben- 
net collected in a fortnight three hogsheads of teeth and twenty-two bar- 
rels of oil. In 1608, he was again on Cherry Island, and in seven hours 
he and his companions killed 1,000 walruses. A couple were brought 
alive to England, and the male was exhibited at court, "where the king 
and many honorable personages beheld it with admiration for the 
strangeness of the same, the like whereof had never before been seen in 
England. Not long after it fell sick and died. As the beast in shape is 
very strange, so it is of strange docility, and apt to be taught, as by good 
experience we often proved.'' 1 

The weather at Cherry Island at the end of June, was reported to be 
calm and clear, and about as warm as in England at the same time of 
year. Three lead mines were discovered; and in 1609 five English ships 
were there at one time, with crews numbering 182 men, all loading with 
furs, oil and walrus teeth. 

Meanwhile, John Knight had been sent out by the Muscovy Com- 
pany, April iS, 1606, in command of the " Hopewell " of 40 tons, to 
resume the search for the Northwest Passage. He had previously com- 
manded a Danish vessel on a voyage to Greenland, and was a brave 
and experienced seaman. Detained for a fortnight in Pentland Firth, 
he struck across the Atlantic on a due west course, May 12, and about 
the middle of June found himself on the coast of Labrador. Here he 
encountered stormy weather, with a north wind which brought down 
upon him huge masses of ice. The ship was soon surrounded with it, 
and her rudder was carried away. Her hull also had been severely 
nipped, and Capt. Knight was fain to take refuge in the first inlet, to 
overhaul his ship and examine the stores and provisions. 

His first chance not proving satisfactory, he crossed the inlet on the 
next day, the 26th of June, with his brother and one of the crew. They 
were seen to ascend a small hill not far from the shore, and before passing 
to the other side they waved their hats as a parting salutation. Disappear- 
ing on the other side, the boatmen waited on the shore for their return. 
The day wore on, the sun went down, and evening darkened into night 
without bringing any sign of their return. The men fired off their 



ATT A CKED B 2" SA VA GES. 73 

muskets, shouted long and loudly, and blew their trumpets, but no 
answer came. Disheartened and alarmed they pulled back to the ship 
with the sad news that the commander and his companions were doubt- 
less lost. To add to their mishap the night grew excessively cold, and 
all their efforts to reach the shore next morning proved unavailing. Ice 
hemmed them in on every side, and despite their anxiety to go to the 
relief of the missing, the most sanguine were compelled to yield to the 
impossible, and leave the absent to their own resources. After two days 
of this painful uncertainty, rendered doubly dreary by their apprehen- 
sions for the safety of their friends, the knowledge of their fate came 
to them. 

On the night of June 28 they were themselves attacked by the 
savages, to the number of perhaps fifty, who appeared determined 
to make them share the same fate. They were only eight, but they 
made up their minds, if die they must, to sell their lives dearly. With 
a large mastiff, the companion of their voyage, in front, they attacked 
the fierce savages, and soon dispersed them. The volley of musketry 
created havoc in their ranks as well as a superstitious dread, and they 
fled to their canoes and made off in hot haste. They got entangled in 
the ice-floe, and were long in getting be}'ond range of the muskets, and 
as volley after volley from the weapons of the besieged struck them, 
cries, groans and lamentations rent the air, and made the night hideous. 
The}' were'small of stature, of a tawny color, and slightly built, with lit- 
tle or no beard, and flat noses. Dreading the return of the savages in 
increased numbers, the Englishmen preferred to trust their lives to the 
ice-covei"ed sea in their disabled ship rather than take the chances of a 
second onslaught from the barbarous savages, whom they suspected of 
adding cannibalism to their other atrocities. Without a rudder, and 
kept constantly at the pumps for three weeks, they reached the island 
of Fogo on the northeast coast of Newfoundland, July 23, aided 
chiefly by the current and their exertions at the oars. Here they were 
assisted by the fishermen, and after a delay of four weeks spent in repair- 
ing the vessel, they set sail for England, where they arrived in safety 
on the 24th of September of the same year. 



74 



VOYAGE BT WAT OF NORTH POLE ATTEMPTED. 



VOYAGES OF HUDSON. 

In 1607 Henry Hudson sailed from England in command of one 
small vessel with ten sailors, furnished by some merchants of London, to 
seai - ch once more for a route to China. This time it was neither the 
Northwest nor Northeast Passage that was to be sought, but an entirely 
new route by the North Pole. This was therefore the first polar 
voyage, properly so called ; and, like the preceding ones by the other 
routes, was projected in the interests of commerce. The plan had been 
suggested eighty years before by Robert Thorne, who may therefore be 

regarded as the first visionary 
who indulged in uttered dreams 
of reaching the Pole. It remained 
in abeyance while repeated efforts 
were put forth to find the desired 
route through more southern and 
less forbidding waters. Whether 
now revived by Hudson or his 
patrons is not known, but he was 
intrusted with its execution. He 
soon reached latitude 73 on the 
east coast of Greenland, and pro- 
ceeded thence to the northern 
point of Spitzbergen, in latitude 8o°. Despite his most strenuous efforts 
to push forward to the Pole, he could only reach Si° 30', his further pas- 
sage being blocked by the ice. He returned to England, with the con- 
viction, often shared by many since his time, that the passage to the Pole 
was forever made impassable by the ice. 

In 1 60S he made a second voyage, followed by Barentz— an interme- 
diate route between what might be called the North Passage of the pre- 
ceding year, and the Northeast Passage by the Straits of Vaigats. He 
reached Nova Zembla and went as high as 72° 25', but was again driven 
back by the ice. In 1609, in the service of the Dutch East India Com- 
pany, he tried the Northeast Passage and was again baffled by the ice. 




HENRY HUDSON. 



DISCOVERT OF MANHATTAN ISLAND. 



75 



He o-ave up all hope that that route could ever be made available for the 
purposes of commerce, and proceeded at once in the opposite direction, 
aiming to make Davis' Strait and search for the Northwest Passage 
Striking the western continent in the region of Nova Scotia, he sailed to 




VIEW ON THE HUDSON. 

the south and explored the coast to Chesapeake Bay, hoping perhaps to 
find a West Passage to the Pacific. Retracing his course, he had the 
good fortune to discover the island of Manhattan, now New York, and 
the important river which now bears his name. He explored the Hud- 



76 KENNEBEC COLONY. 

son almost to the site of the present city of Albany, and took possession 
of the country in the name of the Netherlands. 

THE FOURTH AND LAST VOYAGE OF HUDSON. 

Almost simultaneously with Hudson's first voyage of discovery to 
Arctic seas, in 1607, under the auspices of the Muscovy Company, two 
voyages of colonization to the coasts of the North American continent, 
were undertaken at the expense of two other English companies, the 
London and the Plymouth. May 13, 1607, twelve days after the depart- 
ure of Hudson, a squadron of three vessels, under the command of 
Christopher Newport, was sent out to Virginia. There were 105 col- 
onists; and these founded amid great suffering and despite much disun- 
ion, the first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown. 
Among them were Bartholomew Gosnold, who had sought to establish 
a colony, in 1602, in the vicinity of Cape Cod, but failed; and John 
Smith, who explored Virginia and Chesapeake Bay, and the coast of 
New England, some years later, in 1614. 

The second English colony of the year 1607 was the Kennebec col- 
ony, on the coast of Maine, which was sent out under the command of 
George Popham, three months later, in August. They were forty-nine 
in number, and failing to find the mines, which were the primary object 
of their venture, they returned to England in 1608. The French also 
had made several voyages of colonization, and in 160S founded Quebec. 
But we cannot turn aside to record the numerous voyages of this sort 
that soon became an almost everyday occurrence; and we must return to 
our subject. On the 17th of April, 1610, Hudson left London for his 
last voyage. His ship was named the Discovery, of but fifty-five tons 
burden, and provisioned for only six months. In all but the skill, cour- 
age and experience of Hudson, this expedition lacked the chief elements 
of success. It was specially unfortunate in the crew selected who, as the 
sequel showed, were utterly unworthy of their brave commander. 
On the 1st of May they left Harwich on the southern coast of 
England, and sailed for the Shetland and Faroe Islands. Leaving 
these behind, they sighted Iceland on the nth, and being en- 



HUDSON BAT DISCOVERED. 77 

veloped in a fog, and in danger of running on the rocks, they cast 
anchor. 

When the fog lifted they proceeded along the coast until they 
reached Westtnanna Islands. They saw the Jokull, the Snaefell, 
and grandest of all, Hecla, the noted volcano, in the blaze of an 
eruption, and landing farther on, they bathed in one of the outflows 
of the great geyser, which they found hot enough to boil a fowl. 
Leaving Iceland, they reached the east coast of Greenland in four 
days, and found it lined with a barrier of ice. " This day," says 
Hudson, "we saw Greenland perfectly, over the ice; and this night 
the sun went down due north, and rose north-northeast, so plying the fifth 
.day, we were in 65 ." Turning Cape Farewell, and running toward 
Davis' Strait, they encountered a large number of whales in the vicinity 
of Cape Desolation. They now proceeded west-northwest, and at the 
end of June discovered Resolution Island. Proceeding through the strait 
that bears his name, and driven by turns to all the points of the compass 
to escape the icebergs, Hudson discovered and named several islands and 
capes. Sailing around, buffeted by storms and ice floe, and threatened 
with destruction from icebergs which were never out of sight, and land- 
ing occasionally on an island or promontory, he reached the entrance to 
the great bay that was destined — with the river and strait previously 
discovered — t© preserve his name. This sea, as it proved to be, he called 
Michaelmas Bay, becaus.e discovered on the feast of St. Michael, the 
29th of September. It has since been named Hudson, in his honor. 

With equal modesty he had called this discovery of the previous year, 
the great North River, through which he had vainly hoped to reach the 
Pacific, the River of the Mountains. 

Beclouded by fogs, stranded on shoals, or lodged on shelving rocks, the 
ship made slow progress, and was fast becoming leaky and unsafe. The 
nights were long and cold, and the ground was covered with snow. Giv- 
ing up all intention of retracing his course, doubtless in the hope of find- 
ing the coveted Northwest Passage in the spring, Hudson now prepared 
to go into winter quarters. November first they found a suitable 
place to haul the vessel ashore, and by the tenth they were frozen in. 






78 SUPPOSED DISCOVERT OF SOUTH SEA. 

On examination, the provisions were found so nearly exhausted, notwith- 
standing the occasional slight assistance derived from hunting, that it be- 
came necessary to put the men on short rations. A reward for every ad- 
dition to their supplies was offered by the commander in the hope of stim- 
ulating the men to extraordinary exertions in hunting. The alternative 
of making an effort to escape before they had been completely hemmed 
in seems to have been the choice of the greater portion of his crew, and 
his adverse decision irritated them. 

About the middle of November the gunner died, and the mal- 
contents attributed his untimely end to the severity of the commander. 
Being filled with the sublime anticipation that in this broad, expanded sea, 
was to be found the outlet so long desired and so patiently sought for more 
than a century bv the chief navigators of Europe, may have rendered Hud- 
son somewhat insensible to the more commonplace aspirations of his su- 
bordinates, who in the midst of such dreary surroundings could not help 
longing for the sight of home. And they felt that if there was now but 
little chance of their ever enjoying that gratification, it -was all due to the 
perverse obstinacy of their commander. They might ere this have been 
safely under cover of their respective roofs in Merrie England, instead of 
facing death by starvation on the dreary shores of this inhospitable land, had 
he yielded to their suggestions four months earlier. 

When they had passed through Hudson Strait and entered the 
great sea in August, most of them believed that the coveted passage 
and South Sea had alike been found. Three months were wasted, 
as they felt, in explorations which should have been left for the next 
season's work, and the six months for which they had undertaken 
service would have expired by the time they arrived in England. 
The reasoning was specious, but defective. It ignored the funda- 
mental principle of associated action. Executive authority may rightly 
be counseled or even remonstrated with, but must not be contravened 
under penalty of disaster. The smoldering fires of discontent burned 
secretly through the winter, ready at any moment to break into 
inextinguishable flame by the fanning of any fresh breeze of disaf- 
fection which might arise. Meanwhile, they had been able to subsist 



BARTERING WITH SAVAGES. 79 

fairly well on their scant stores and the proceeds of their hunting. They 
killed a number of wild fowls — ioo dozen of "white partridges" alone — 
and 'were their minds not diseased by the taint of mutiny they would 
have acknowledged that the commander was not without reasonable 
grounds for his action. Indeed, it is highly probable that he had hoped 
to reach fhe genial clime of China before the season was over; and when 
he found no outlet to the south or west from the bay, he merely resigned 
himself to the inevitable. The hope of success had held him captive 
until it was too late to get out. It was an untoward mishap, and led to 
his untimely and undeserved fate — an error of judgment for which he 
should not have been held responsible. 

In the spring they were visited hy the savages who traded valuable 
furs for knives, buttons and trinkets, but who unfortunately had no surplus 
provisions to barter. On the breaking-up of the ice eight men were 
detailed to catch fish, in which they had some success, affording temporary 
but precarious relief. It is supposed that the conspiracy against the 
commander was distinctly formulated on that occasion. He took an- 
other boat and attempted to open communication with the natives where 
he had seen fires occasionally during the winter, in the hope of replen- 
ishing his stores from what he conceived were permanent settlements. 
But he failed to find any, and determined to leave James Bay. The stock 
of provisions was almost exhausted, and after being on short allowance 
during the whole winter, actual starvation now threatened them. On 
the eve of resuming the voyage with the purpose of returning to Eng- 
land by the way they had come, Hudson doled out what remained of 
the provisions brought from home — a loaf of bread for each, and five 
cheeses, equally divided among them. Eighty small fishes were taken 
soon after ; and with strict self-denial they might, it is said, have lived 
on these short rations for two weeks. How short they were is shown 
by the statement that in one day the boatswain consumed his whole al- 
lowance, with the usual penalty for such excess when following on the 
heels of continued privation, that he was sick for several days in 
consequence. 

The spring had passed, and they had fairly entered on their second 



80 HUDSON AND CREW LOST. 

summer; when, on the 21st of June, three of the disaffected suddenly- 
pounced upon Hudson as he came on deck, and securely bound him. 
With his son John, and the sick, six in number, and the carpenter, sturdy 
John King, whom they were unable to enlist in their wicked scheme, the 
gallant commander of the "Discovery," the immortal Hudson, was thrust 
into the ship's boat, which was cut adrift, and left to shift for itself. The 
mutineers then stood to sea, steering to the eastward from their late 
winter quarters. In a few days they ran into the ice in a storm, and 
were held fast fourteen days. It was probably in this storm that Hud- 
son and his companions were lost, as they were never afterward seen or 
heard from. So perished toward the close of June, 161 1, Henry Hud- 
son, one of the most able and distinguished navigators of any age 
With very inadequate resources his great talents secured the highest 
results. One after another he tried the several proposed passages to 
China, and his clear judgment pronounced them all impracticable, at least 
for commerce. He searched the Atlantic coast from the Chesapeake 
to Greenland, and satisfied himself that there remained but one chance 
for reaching the Pacific by the Northwest, namely, by the open sea 
south of Greenland. He probably died in the conviction that Hudson's 
Bay was not the opening sought, and had he not been cut off by the 
treachery of his men, he might after one or two more voyages have an- 
ticipated McClure's discovery by over two hundred years. 

By the 37th of July the ship had reached the entrance of the Bay, 
and on the 28th some of the men landed to shoot fowl. On making the 
land at Cape Dudle}' Diggs — so named the year before by Hudson in 
honor of one of the patrons of the expedition, as was Cape Wolsten- 
holme for another — they encountered some natives bound on the same 
errand, with whom they trafficked peaceably. The next day, however, 
when, unsuspicious of danger they resumed the intercourse, they were 
attacked by the natives, and four out of the six engaged in the enter- 
prise were either killed outright or died within a few days, of their 
wounds. Others of the mutineers died on the homeward voyage, and 
all suffered dreadful privations. They finally reached Bere Haven, in 
Bantry Bay, on the southwest coast of Ireland, whence, with the help 



THE SURVIVORS REACH ENGLAND. 



81 



of fresh seamen to work the ship, they were enabled to reach England. 
Habbakuk Pricket, who wrote an account of the voyage, and Robert 
Billet or Bylot, mate and acting master of the vessel on her arrival, 
were the only ones who presented themselves before the authorities, the 
other survivors slinking away into obscurity. 




CHAPTER VIII. 

voyages of poole biscayan whale fishers button in search 

of hudson hall's voyage to greenland commercial 

voyage under baffin fotherby bylot discovery of 

Baffin's bay. 

In 1610, 161 1, and 1612, Jonas Poole, in the employ of the Mus- 
covy Company, made three distinct voyages to the Arctic regions, or 
Northern Ocean. Like four others of the same class by Steven Bennet, 
1603-8, they were all divested of any strong claim to scientific or 
geographical voyages, though projected in part for that purpose, mainly, 
no doubt, by the force of circumstances. On their arrival in those waters 
the commanders found very little to discover or explore. Seeing no 
avenue to new discoveries in the wide waste of water studded with ice- 
bergs instead of islands, they are not to be blamed, if, deeming it of more 
advantage to return laden than empty, they turned their attention to the 
hunting of seals and walruses on the coasts already discovered, especially 
on Cherry Island, the Bear Island of Barentz, of which the Muscovy 
Company took formal and exclusive possession in 1609. In his first 
voyage as commander, in 16 10, Poole went as high as 78 , and in his 
report emphasized the observation of some of his predecessors that the 
climate in the open sea toward the Pole is more temperate than in lower 
latitudes. " A passage," he says, " may be as soon attained this way by 
the Pole as any unknown way whatsoever, by reason the sun doth give 
a great heat in this climate, and the ice that freezeth here is nothing so 
huge as I have seen in 73°'" 

He finally reached 79° 50 ' on this trip which was intended not 
only to " catch a whale or two " but also for northern discovery. 
These were his instructions : " Inasmuch as it hath pleased Al- 
mighty God, through the industry of yourself and others, to discover 

82 



FIRST VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF A LOST EXPLORER. 83 

unto our nation a land lying in eighty degrees toward the North 
Pole; we are desirous not only to discover farther to the north- 
ward along the said land, to find whether the same be an island or 
a main, and which way the same doth trend, either to the eastward or to 
the westward of the pole; as also whether the same be inhabited by any 
people, or whether there be an open sea farther north than hath been 
already discovered," etc. 

In 1611 Poole again proceeded to the Arctic in company with 
the first English ship expressly intended for whaling. Six Biscayans of 
experience in killing whales were added to the crew. Leaving the 
whaler at work, Poole proceeded northward to 8o°, and then crossing 
westward, he explored the east coast of Greenland to a point about two 
degrees north of any previously reached, or at least noted on the charts. 
On his return to the whaler, he found that, with the aid of the Biscayan 
experts, they had caught thirteen, and they proceeded together to 
England. 

In his voyage of 16 12-13, P°°l e found no less than twenty whalers — 
six of them English, and one of these in command of the afterward cele- 
brated William Baffin — in the sea of Spitzbergen. French, Biscayan, 
Spanish and Dutch were all represented ; and all quietly submitted to the 
orders of the English, who took exclusive possession of the island and 
contiguous sea for the crown of England, in 161 3. 

BUTTON IN SEARCH OF HUDSON. 

The first vovage in search of a lost explorer was undertaken, in 1612, 
by Sir Thomas Button. He was accompanied by Pricket, the historian 
of Hudson's last voyage, and Bylot, who had served on the same voy- 
age, as mate. Button was placed in command of two vessels, the Reso- 
lution and Discovery. He followed the route pursued by Hudson 
through the strait till he reached Southampton Island. Sailing west he 
fell in with the main land at 6o° 40', to which part of the west coast of 
Hudson's Bay he gave the name of Hopes Checked. He then sailed 
toward the south and discovered the bay called after his name. Farther 
south, at 57 io', he discovered Nelson River, on the 15th of August. 



84 VOTAGE TO GREENLAND. 

Here, near the point of York Factory, long the chief center of the 
Hudson's Bay Company's fur trade, he made his preparations 
to winter. Some of the crew died from the intensity of the cold. In 
spring they were able to kill a plentiful supply of game, especially of 
" white partridge," of which no less than 1800 dozen are said to have 
been taken and consumed by the crews of the two vessels. 

In April, the ice disappearing early, he sailed northward along the west 
coast, discovering what are now called Mansfield's Islands, in 65 . He then 
proceeded homeward, and arrived in England in the autumn, in thirteen 
days, from Cape Chudleigh, without having found any trace whatever 
of the lost navigator. He carried with him a conviction, but on what 
based is not stated, that the Northwest Passage would be found leading 
from Hudson's Bay. The influence of his name did much toward hold- 
ing his countrymen in the trammels of this error for generations. As 
will be seen presently, a navigator of more experience, but less influence, 
attempted to correct the mistake a few years later; but public opinion 
was swayed by the authority of a great name, and England chose to err 
with Button rather than to be set right by Bylot. (.Such things happen 
yet, and in America as well as elsewhere. " The influential " still carry 
weight, not only as they should in matters of which they are fully cog- 
nizant, and qualified to pronounce upon, but also in matters entirely for- 
eign to their line of thought and experience. Herein lies the mistake of 
the public, " ravished with the whistling of a name." The world has 
been long held in the thraldom of various errors by the authority of 
great names, forgetting that one cannot mention a single delusion in the 
history of humanity for which the authority of some great man may 
not be quoted. J 

HALL, BAFFIN, GIBBONS AND FOTHERBY. 

In 161 2, also, Capt. James Hall, with William Baffin as pilot, in 
the service of the Muscovy Company, made a voyage to Greenland. 
Hall had previously served as pilot to a Danish exploring expedition of 
three vessels, which had been sent to Greenland in 1605, to search for 
the old Norse colonists in that quarter. On that occasion he had reached 



COMMERCIAL VOTAGE OF BAFFIN. 85 

latitude 69 , but the crews refused to proceed farther, and in 1606 he 
had also served as pilot to another Danish squadron of four vessels, 
which were dispatched in search of gold and silver mines in Greenland. 
At Cunningham's Ford they " landed to see the silver mine, where it 
was decreed," says Hall, " we should take in as much as we could." 
They kidnapped five natives from a settlement they found on the banks 
of the river in 66° 25', and took them to Denmark. In 1607 he was 
compelled, by a mutiny of his Danish crew, to return, unsuccessful, from 
his third voyage to Greenland, under Danish auspices. He then seems 
to have returned to his native country, but did not come into notice again 
as an Arctic navigator until 1612. On that ill fated voyage, having 
landed at 66° 25', the scene of the kidnapping venture in 1606, he was 
recognized by one of the natives, who flew at him and wounded him 
with his lance before he could defend himself, or even perceive his 
danger. He died soon after; and all intercourse with the natives having 
ceased with the attack upon Hall, Baffin and the crew returned to Eng- 
land. It was in his report of this voyage that Baffin first indicated the 
method of finding the position of a vessel at sea by observation of the 
heavenly bodies. 

In 16 1 3, as has been stated, William Baffin was in the sea of Spitz- 
bergen with five other captains, in the employ of the Muscovy Com- 
pany. Like his predecessors in that line — Bennet and Poole — and his 
companions of that season — names unknown — Baffin turned the voyage 
of 16 1 3 mainly into a commercial venture for his employers. It was, 
however, on this voyage that he remarked the extraordinary refraction 
of the atmosphere in northern latitudes, and determined its quality at the 
horizon to be twenty-six minutes. He modestly adds: " I suppose the 
refraction is more or less according as the air is thick or clear, which I 
leave for better scholars to discuss." He also entertained the hope, based 
on an open sea between Greenland and Spitzbergen, that a passage to 
the Pole might be discovered. He recommended to the company an an- 
nual appropriation of $750 or $1,000 for that purpose, deeming a small 
vessel with a crew of ten men adequate to the undertaking. He meant 
perhaps that such a vessel detached from the whaling fleet for an 



86 ARCTIC VOYAGE UNDER BAFFIN. 

annual experiment might in some favorable season achieve the desired 
result. 

In 1614, Captain Gibbons, a relative of Sir Thomas Button, and a 
companion in the search voyage of 161 2, proceeded to Hudson Bay in 
search of the Northwest Passage. The season proved very different 
from that of 161 2. He was harassed incessantly by high winds, floating 
ice, dense fogs and the resulting discouragement of the men, and re- 
turned in safety without accomplishing anything. 

In 1 6 14, also, Robert Fotherby, with William Baffin as pilot, made 
an Arctic voyage, still in the service of the Muscovy Company. Reach- 
ing latitude So°, they were repulsed by the ice and compelled to return. 
And again, in 161 5, Fotherby, on another Arctic voyage and in the ser- 
vice of the same company, essayed the route of Hudson in 1607, and 
like him was baffled in the effort to proceed beyond Spitzbergen. He 
had opportunity to correct some calculations made by Hudson, and more 
definitely establish some of his observations. In 16 15, also, Robert By- 
lot, in company with Baffin, made a voyage in search of the Northwest 
Passage. They proceeded to Hudson's Bay and searched in vain for an 
outlet on the west coast of that great interior sea, which they had sup- 
posed was a gulf of the Pacific. How little they could have imao-ined 
that were the way as open as that by which they had come, they would 
yet be but little more than half way from England to the " South Sea" 
in the latitude they were exploring. All analogy pointed the other 
way; sea and land alternated at comparatively short distances. There 
was no such breadth of unbroken continent within their knowledge. 
Northern Asia presented a similar, and with Northern Europe, a broader 
continuity uninterrupted by ocean or sea, but those regions were as much 
unknown to the men of that age as the recently discovered New World. 
Captain Bylot's report was unfavorable to the theory based on Sir 
Thomas Button's opinion, that the Northwest Passage was to be found 
leading out of Hudson's Bay. 

It would have been a great gain had Bylot's opinion prevailed 
instead of Button's, and had Hudson's Bay been thenceforth 
avoided by all in search of the long-sought passage. The limits, 



BAFFIN'S BA T DISCO VERED. 87 

one might say, within which it can alone be found, if at all, are 
being narrowed ; but the distance is long and the way lies through a lab- 
yrinth of straits and islands. And every mile of the way is more or less 
liable to be blocked by the ice according to the changes of the wind and 
the seasons. Yet the problem remains, and challenges humanity for a 
solution; and so generation after generation of heroic navigators nerve 
themselves to the task. Each successive aspirant for the distinction of 
discoverer of the hidden pathway, dwells on the difficulties, ponders over 
them carefully, studies all the pros and cons until he has solved the puz- 
zle in his closet. He then enlists some government or wealthy in- 
dividual in his project; inspires them with a share of his enthusiasm or 
magnetism, and the outfit is provided. Arriving at Greenland, he finds 
ice-floe and icebergs utterly impenetrable to enthusiasm, and almost 
equally so to sails and oars and sledges. And thus for generations 
the work progresses. Brave, skillful and hardy navigators snatching at 
the risk of their lives, and of the lives of men under their charge, here a 
headland, there an expanse of water; again an island or a river, and 
ever the problem remains unsolved; but ever, too, the possible limits are 
narrowing, and man becomes satisfied that if to be solved at all, he is 
evermore nearing the solution. Such problems have their uses in the in- 
crease of knowledge and the development of the race. 

In 1616, Bylot and Baffin, giving the enti'ance to Hudson's Bay a 
wide berth, pushed northward through Davis' Strait and discovered 
what they named Baffin's Bay, and thus in their turn gave currency to 
an error which had as much influence as that of Button, in retarding the 
actual discovery of the Northwest Passage. They seemed to have been 
deceived by the western trend of Greenland, and to have on that account 
concluded that the broad expanse of water which they had discovered, 
was land-locked on the north. They entered Lancaster Sound as well as 
Jones' and Smith's Sounds, and yet did not doubt the correctness of their 
conclusion. They believed all three to be inclosed gulfs or inlets to the 
bay ; and so, lacking opportunity to explore them more thoroughly 
they returned to England, and Bylot's report of the voyage gave cur- 
rency to the error. Bylot and Baffin had earned their reputations as 



88 VOYAGE OF THE DISCOVERT. 

careful and experienced navigators ; and where their observations could 
be verified they were found to be exceptionally correct. What more 
natural than not to suspect the fallacy that had deceived them ? 
Whether Lancaster, Jones or Smith Sounds were straits, or gulfs, was 
not a question to be determined by conjectures of even experienced navi- 
gators, but by actual exploration. And in this way are errors often 
generated and perpetuated. In this famous voyage the crew consisted 
of only fourteen men and two boys, besides Bylot and his mate or pilot, 
■Baffin. The vessel was the Discovery, the same that had so often 
braved the dangers of those seas. They saw icebergs — fortunately they 
did not meet them at close quarters — which they computed to reach 240 
feet above the water, and to be probably in all, 1680 feet high. In the 
neighborhood of Resolution Island, Baffin witnessed the phenomenon of 
seeing the sun and the moon at the same time, and availed himself of the 
opportunity to compute the longitude. He adds : " If observations of 
this kind, or some other, were made of places far remote, as at the Cape 
Bona Speranza, Bantam, Japan, Nova Albion, and Magellan's Straits, 
I suppose we should all have a truer geography than we have." Ob- 
serving the tide to flow from the northward they were at one time con- 
fident of success, but finding the water shallow in the inlets they had 
entered, and being threatened by the ice, they returned, passing Resolu- 
tion Island in the beginning of August, and arriving in England a 
month later, without the loss of a man. 




CHAPTER IX. 

VOYAGES OF DUTCH RESUMED MANHATTAN ISLAND OCCUPIED 

FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE HORN VOYAGE OF MUNK — CASKS 

BURST BY FROST VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWER. 

The defeat and death of Sebastian of Portugal by the Moors at Al- 
cazar-Kebir in 1578, and the extinction of the old line of sovereigns, by 
the death of his uncle, the archbishop, King Henry, in 1580, led to the 
union of that kingdom with Spain, and the decay of its maritime and col- 
onial power. The Dutch exerted themselves, with success, to seize the 
Portuguese trade with the East, without, however, embarrassing them- 
selves by establishing military colonies or waging wars of subjugation. 
The trade, not the territory, was what they sought, and this they adroit- 
ly slipped into. Their late sovereign, Philip II., who had just united 
the crowns of Portugal and Spain, had exhausted his finances in the long 
effort to subdue them ; and was more interested in quarrels with France 
and England, than in maintaining the maritime supremacy of his 
dominions. This pre-occupation furnished the enterprising Dutch with a 
favorable opportunity to prosecute their schemes of commercial aggrand- 
izement. They soon secured a virtual monopoly of the coasting trade 
of the East. Within a few years of the organization of their great 
trading corporation, known as the East India Company, in 1602, they 
had established central entrepots, for revictualing and repairing, as well 
as for influencing the natives and controlling their trade, at the Cape of 
Good Hope, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Moluccas. They secured 
exclusive control of the spice trade with these last named islands. 

Meanwhile, through the good fortune of the discovery, in 1609, by 

Hudson, while temporarily in their employ, of the Delaware and the 

Hudson, or as they called them, the South and North Rivers, the Dutch 

gained a foothold in North America, which they were not long in mak- 

89 



90 



VOYAGE AROUND CAPE HORN. 



insr use of as a center of trade with the savages of the New World. In 
1613 they sent out a mercantile colony to occupy Manhattan Island, 
now New York. In 1614 Adriaen Block explored Long Island Sound, 
in a small vessel built by him in American waters; and the same year 
Cornelius Jacobsen Mey was sent out from Amsterdam to explore the 
coast north from the Delaware. The exclusiveness of the Dutch East 
India Company in relation to the specially profitable spice trade of the 
Moluccas, led to an important maritime discovery. 

FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE HORN. 

The States- General of the Netherlands were sharers in the profits of 
the trading company they had established, and had ordained that none 



Mmm 











^:v-; 



CAPE HORN. 



but the servants of the company should go to the Spice Islands. As an 
added protection, the routes by the Cape of Good Hope and the Straits 
of Magellan were by law reserved for their exclusive use. The other 
merchants might traffic all the world over with these trifling restrictions, 
but to steer their barks by either of these routes entailed the penalty of 



SCANDINAVIAN VOYAGES. 91 

confiscation of the vessels, and arrest of the owners. Schonten, a navi- 
gator of experience and ability, conceived the project of rinding a passage 
south of the Straits of Magellan. Assisted in the enterprise by Lemaire, 
who also accompanied him as supercargo, or perhaps as captain of one of 
the vessels, and some other merchants of Horn in Holland, Schonten, 
in 1615, fitted out two vessels, and made the first voyage by way of the 
American Cape, which he called Horn in honor of the town in Holland 
where the expedition had been organized. 

The strait between Terra del Fuego and Staten Island — that is, 
island of the States of Holland, also so named by Schonten — he 
named in honor of his companion, Lemaire, who, for all that, it 
appears was himself its actual discoverer. After many adventures 
and discoveries in the islands of the Pacific, they arrived in safety 
at the Moluccas, in sixteen months from the day of their departure 
from the Texel. Their vessels were confiscated by the East India 
Company, and officers and crew sent home for trial. Lemaire, 
disappointed and excessively chagrined at such a reward for the services 
rendered, and the discoveries made by himself and companion, died on 
the voyage home, at Mauritius, in 16 16. Schonten, less sensitive than 
his patron, the merchant, and, as an experienced captain, more accus- 
tomed to the arbitrary proceedings of the officials of the great Dutch 
company, lived to perform several routine voyages to the East, and died 
in 1625, in the Bay of Antongil, on the east coast of Madagascar, where 
he had taken refuge from tempestuous weather on his last return voyage 
— a hero of maritime exploration not so celebi'ated as some, but worthy 
of being rescued from oblivion. 

VOYAGE OF JENS MUNK. 

Christian IV., of Denmark and Norway, made an advantageous 
peace with Gustavus Adolphus in 161 3; and was thus enabled to turn 
his attention to the welfare of his subjects. He strengthened the mari- 
time interests and power of his kingdom, and extended its commerce to 
the East Indies, where he was the first sovereign of Denmark to gain 
possessions. By curbing the encroachments of the Hause towns he en- 



92 STORES DESTROTED BY FROST. 

larged the sphere of inland trade for his subjects. From a sovereign of 
such broad ideas and magnanimous purposes it was natural to seek for 
encouragement in northern exploration. He had authorized as early as 
1605 the search expedition under Admiral Lindeman, with the English- 
man James Hall, as pilot, and the other Greenland voyages of that 
period, which have been previously mentioned. And now, in 16 19, an 
able navigator named Jens Munk was sent out in command of two ves- 
sels, one with forty-eight seamen and the other with only sixteen. He 
left Elsinore on the iSth of May and made for the south coast of Green- 
land. He proceeded from Cape Farewell to Hudson's Bay directly 
through Hudson's Strait, which he named Christian's Strait in honor of 
his sovereign. The new name was not retained. Danish voyagers were 
too few, and English too many in those waters, to permit it. He met a 
great deal of ice, and on the yth of September entered what is known 
as Chesterfield Inlet on the northwest coast of Hudson's Bay, where he 
was compelled to winter. The ice closed in rapidly around him, and 
he began at once to erect huts. As soon as these were completed they 
began to provide winter supplies by hunting. 

Fortunately game was abundant. Bears, foxes, hares, partridges, 
and various wild fowls were made available, and they collected 
a goodly store, yet not enough for the long winter. With the 
perversity born of superstition they interpreted some unusual appear- 
ances they noted in the sun and moon as ill omens. And when 
their brandy, wine, and beer, expanded by the frost, burst the 
casks, a part of the evil prophecy was fulfilled because of 
their ignorance. They consumed these to excess to keep them from 
being entirely lost, not knowing that to lose them would have proved a 
great gain, since imprudence in their use rapidly brought on disease, 
and this hastened the fulfillment of their worst forebodings. The regu- 
lar supplies of food were running low, and the scurvy and other diseases 
to which they had fallen a prey through over-indulgence in spirituous 
and malt liquors, unfitted them for replenishing their stores. Wild fowl 
was still abundant, but they could not kill or capture them. Before the 
end of May, 1620, sixty-two out of the sixty-four men had perished by 



ENGLISH VOYAGE OF COLONIZATION. 



9J 



famine and disease, and only Munk and two seamen survived. By su- 
perhuman exertions they managed to obtain some means of subsistence; 
and by scraping away the snow they found some grasses, roots, and 
herbs, which relieved them of the scurvy. They crawled to a neigh- 
boring stream and caught fish. Strengthened by this healthful food, and 
free from the danger of alcoholic stimulants, they soon were able to kill 
birds and animals. They now proceeded to fit the smaller vessel for the 
homeward voyage, and actually accomplished the feat, arriving in Nor- 
way on the 25th of September. 

COLONIZATION VOYAGES. 




Among the voyages of 

I II 

j colonization of this period, 
• j none is more noteworthy 
B ^ & than that of the " May- 
flower," which arrived at Cape Cod, 
with the "Pilgrim" colonists Nov. 
landing of the MAYFwwER. 21, 1620. There were forty-one 

adult males besides women and children, and formed the nucleus of the 



94 



NE WFO UNDLAND COL ONIZED. 



New England settlements. These first arrivals were a branch of the 
Puritans, and had sought refuge in Holland from the persecutions to 
which they were subjected in England. Not finding their associations 
and surroundings congenial in Holland, they conceived the idea of set- 
tling in America. They obtained a grant from the southern branch of 
the English colonization company, known as the London or Virginia 
Company, but happened to land on the domain of the northern or 
Plymouth Company. 

In 162 1 a colony was established in Newfoundland by Lord Balti- 
more. Several other colonization voyages to various points along the 
Atlantic coast of America were inaugurated under English, French and 
Dutch auspices, in the time which intervened between the northern 
exploring voyage of Jens Munk, the Dane, and the next one of the 
same sort which merits our attention. Some of these were to found 
new settlements, and some to strengthen those already established; but 
all are alike foreign to the scope of our work, and though full .of 
interest, must be omitted. 




CHAPTER X. 

VOYAGES OF FOX AND JAMES ENTERPRISE OF BRISTOL MERCHANTS 

MARVELOUS ESCAPE FROM ICEBERGS REACH OPEN WATER 

LAND ON CHARLTON ISLAND THE SHIP SUNK BUILDING A 

BOAT SUFFERING AND DEATH THE BOAT LAUNCHED POEM 

OF JAMES THE RETURN VOYAGE. 

In 1 63 1 Captain Luke Fox was given command of one of the 
king's ships, to search for a Northwest Passage. On taking leave, the 
king furnished him with a chart exhibiting all his predecessors' discov- 
eries, a letter of instructions, and a letter of introduction to the Emperor 
of Japan. Fox says " he had been itching after northern discovery ever 
since 1606, when he wished to have gone as mate to John Knight." In 
his account of his voyage, he warns "the gentle reader not to expect 
here any flourishing phrases or eloquent terms ; for this child of mine, 
begot in the northwest's cold clime, where they breed no scholars, is 
not able to digest the sweet milk of rhetoric." 

In Hudson's Strait, Fox was much hampered with ice, and yet the 
masses he met were " seldom bigger than a church." At Salisbury 
Island, in Hudson's Strait, 63 , 27', he observed that the needle became 
sluggish, which he ascribed to " the sharpness of the air interposed 
between the needle and the attractive point." He gave the name, Sir 
Thomas Roe's Welcome, to an island on the northwest coast of Hud- 
son's Bay, but the channel dividing Southampton Island from the main- 
land is now known by that name. It has not yet been definitely ascer- 
tained whether Southampton is one or many islands. On the island 
discovered by Fox was found a burying-ground of the natives ; and it 
was ascertained that they had deposited with the dead, bows, arrows and 
darts, many of them with iron heads, and one with copper. At Nelson's 

River he found the cross erected by Sir Thomas Button. It was in 

95 



96 BOAT DESTROTED IN THE ICE. 

this neighborhood that he met Captain James' vessel on the 29th of 
August, which he visited with a few of his men. He seems to have 
sailed directly homeward after that interview, for he arrived in Eng- 
land on the last day of October, " not having lost one man or boy, nor 
any manner of tackling, having been forth nearly six months; all 
glory be to God." At Roe's Welcome he had observed the tide set 
in from the north, and this, together with the great number of whales 
met there, led him to think he was near the Northwest Passage, or 
entrance to the South Sea. He contributed to keep up the theory that 
in Hudson's Bay would be found the coveted route to Japan. 

Bylot and Baffin had pronounced against it, but they had also de- 
clared against Baffin's Bay, and public opinion in England was divided, 
but with a preference for the former. It certainly opened far to the 
south and west, which was as certainly the direction in which lay the 
South Sea. What is more natural then than to connect the two in im- 
agination, and infer their connection in fact? 

Not to be outdone by the London merchants, who supplied Fox's 
outfit, those of Bristol furnished a similar expedition on the same errand, 
in the hope of winning the glory of the coveted discovery for the good 
city of Bristol, from which the Cabots had sailed five generations before. 
Their ship was intrusted to Captain Thomas James, who was kindly 
furnished by the king with a duplicate of the documents given to Fox. 

James selected a crew of twenty-two picked men for his vessel of 
seventy tons, or twice as many as were absolutely necessary. They 
were all active, sober young men, and unmarried, and had been chosen 
from a body of seamen who had never made a voyage to those regions. 
They left Milford on the 17th of May and sighted Greenland on the 
4th of June. One of the boats was ripped by the ice, but soon 
repaired, the ship being carefully provided with all things necessary to 
meet such accidents, as well as with a supply of provisions for eighteen 
months. This was largely due to the wise forethought of the com- 
mander. Around icebergs and through ice floes, with sails and cord- 
age frozen, they threaded their weary way to Resolution Island, which 
they reached on the 18th. For five days they hung between life 



DISCOVER!' OF JAMES BAT. 97 

and death, engaged in an incessant struggle to keep the ship from 
being crushed by the icebergs, which sometimes overhung her deck 
and grated her sides. In gratitude for their escape from destruc- 
tion they named the place the " Harbor of God's Providence." Cap- 
tain James, with great exertion and at great risk, found a sheltered 
cove at 6i?24',to which they now succeeded in working the boat. 

The rise of a favorable wind on the next day induced them to leave 
this secure refuge and renew the battle with the ice floes. Not an 
acre of open sea could be discerned from the masthead, and the ice- 
pack crunched against the sides of the ship with such violence that 
they feared it would tear away the planks and break her to pieces. 
It was the 6th of August before they got into the open sea, and on 
the nth they saw land on the western shore of Hudson's Bay, in 
latitude 59°4o'. On the 22d, while at anchor, the ship was driven 
by a gale, but fortunately the anchor again caught, while the sudden 
shock nearly proved fatal to several of the crew. Eight of them were 
hurled from the capstan, and all were more or less injured. One, the 
gunner's mate, had his leg so crushed that it became necessary to 
amputate it. 

After the visit from Captain Fox, whom they entertained on board 
as well as circumstances would permit, on the 29th of August, some- 
where in the vicinity of Nelson River, they continued to explore the 
southern coast, moving eastward. On the 3d of September they 
sighted the cape at the entrance of the bay which has been called James' 
Bay in honor of the navigator. This headland James named Cape Hen- 
rietta, in honor of the Queen of England. Proceeding south, he next 
discovered an island, in latitude 52 l- '45', which he named Lord Weston's 
Island; and in 52° 10', one to which he gave the name of his patron, 
Sir Thomas Roe. James had some hope of finding a passage to the 
" River of Canada," the St. Lawrence, from the foot of the bay. They 
landed on several small islands in search of an eligible spot for winter 
quarters, as it was growing late in the season and their ship had received 
some injury in its battles with the ice, rocks, and shoals. On the 2d 

of October, four months after they had sighted Greenland, a landing 

7 



98 SCUTTLING THE SHIP. 

was effected on a well-wooded coast which they first named for the Earl 
of Derby, but this name they afterward changed, for some unexplained 
reason, to Charlton Island. From its highlands they could see nothing 
more suitable to the south, the bottom of the bay being studded with 
rocks and shoals. 

They now cut a large quantity of wood, enough at least for three 
months' fuel, and at the request of the sick, erected a hut on the island. 
They explored the island carefully, among other objects to ascertain if 
there were any savages. They found traces of them, but none were then 
on the island. A party of six proceeded into the interior on a hunting 
expedition, Oct. 14, and returned the next day with one deer, 
which they had brought twelve miles. They reported having seen 
some others. A few days later another party set out to explore the island, 
and returned unsuccessful and disabled by the cold. They lost one man 
who, in crossing a pond, broke through the ice and was drawn under. 
They dug a well near the hut, obtaining drinkable water but of a pe- 
culiar taste. On the 12th of November the hut took fire, but they were 
able to save it. Thenceforth they kept up a regular fire-watch; for as 
they required great fires to protect them from the cold it was necessary 
to use every precaution to prevent the disaster of being burned out. On 
the 22d died one of their number who had lost a leg at the time the 
eight had been hurled from the capstan. 

Not finding a sheltered spot for the' vessel, she lay at anchor off the 
island, exposed to the ice, and on the 24th she was driven by the pressure 
toward the shore and stopped a mile from the land in twelve feet of 
water. Finally, on the 29th, after the ship had been forced close to 
the shore by the wind and ice, they scuttled and sunk her. They saved 
most of the provisions, but lost their clothes and the medicine chest. 
The seventeen that had remained now joined the sick in the hut, and 
thawed themselves out by a rousing fire. The captain encouraged them 
to hope for the best, reminding them that if the worst came they were 
as near to heaven there as in England. They pledged themselves to be 
faithful to one another, to do their utmost for the common welfare, and 
obey their commander to the death. Should the ship prove irrecovera- 



BUILDING A BOAT. 99 

ble or unseawortliy in the spring, they would build a boat from the tim- 
bers and the wood on the island, and try to return to the haunts of civil- 
ized men, if not to England, by that means. 

On the ioth of December the carpenter began to work on the new 
boat. The crew were busily engaged from the first to the twenty-first 
of the month, rescuing goods from the hold of the vessel, and taking 
them to the shore with'great difficulty. The well had frozen, but they 
found a spring of water under the snow at a short distance, which served 
them better. They constructed three more huts, one of which was to 
serve as a kitchen. The snow covered their houses, adding to the 
warmth, and they celebrated Christmas as joyfully as could be expected. 
Knowing nothing of Gulf Stream or isothermal lines, they were at a 
loss to understand how the climate could be so much more severe than 
in the corresponding latitude at home. They were about on a line with 
the port of Harwich, and not quite one degree and a quarter north of the 
latitude of London. 

By the end of January the ground was frozen to a. depth of ten feet; 
and the men were terribly afflicted by disease, accompanied with sores, 
pains and swellings ; fully two-thirds being under the surgeon's care. 
They bore up manfully, and despite their privations and sufferings, strug- 
gled bravely for their common safety. With feet frost-bitten and shoe- 
less, and wrapped in rags as a substitute, they walked into the forest to 
gather their daily supply of wood. And so they fought the battle 
through February, with the special discouragement of the illness of the 
carpenter, around whom chiefly clustered their hopes of seeing their 
native land again. But the brave carpenter managed to make some 
headway with his boat and kept at work even when so ill as to require 
to be carried to it. He supplied models of the timbers he wanted, and 
the men searched for suitable trees through the forest, cut them down, 
and brought them to him. By Easter, April ist, he was entirely dis- 
abled, with four others; of the remainder only as many more retained 
strength and appetite to consume their daily allowance of food. The 
well waited on the sick, the sick did what service they could, and so they 
continued to fight the good fight, and do their duty one to another. 




100 



THE NEW VESSEL LAUNCHED. 101 

During April those who were strongest busied themselves with ex- 
amining the vessel, trying to ascertain if she was sea-worthy. The 
new boat was about half built, but the carpenter was dying, and should 
both fail it would be necessary to cross to the mainland on the ice, before it 
broke up. They celebrated the last night of April, the eve of May-day, 
with the observances customary in those days in England, thus trying to 
keep up their spirits by feigning a jollity they did not feel, and uncon- 
sciously recognizing a law of human life that cheerfulness promotes 
health. The master's mate died on the sixth, and the carpenter on the 
eighteenth of May, reducing their number to eighteen besides the cap- 
tain. Still they worked at the ship, and to their industry and activity, is 
probably to be ascribed the survival of so large a proportion of them. 
The captain seemed born to lead under adverse circumstances. And he 
was ably seconded by his men. The dying carpenter kept at his work 
till the last moment, and left the boat in so forward a state that the men 
could finish it, should the ship be found unfit for use. All honor to the 
memory of William Cole, one of the earliest heroes of Arctic exploration! 
On the 22d they succeeded in pumping the ship almost dry, and on the 
24th the ice broke all along the bay with a tremendous noise. With 
their habitual foresight they cleared a spot for vegetables a month earlier, 
and these, together with some wild vetches, were given to the sick, who 
were much benefited thereby. 

By the 8th of June they had pumped the ship entirely dry, and 
she floated in the dock she had excavated by her own weight in the 
sand. On the nth they were enabled to hang the rudder, which had 
been lost months before in the storm, and which they had hunted for 
with great labor under the ice, and rescued three weeks before. On the 
16th they got the vessel into deep water, and on the 19th they saw a 
considerable expanse of open sea, and towed their vessel to where they 
had originally anchored her, about a mile from the shore. They now 
got the ballast which they had previously thrown overboard, and placed 
it and the provisions again on board. June 21 Capt. James erected a 
cross on which he inscribed the names of the King and Queen of Eng- 
land, with the added title of Sovereigns of Newfoundland, and of "these 



102 POEM OF JAMES. 

territories to New Albion," still under the impression that they were 
near California and the South Sea. On the 25th he built a fire on the 
island in the hope of attracting the natives, if there were any on the 
island, and had difficulty in escaping unharmed. The fire spread rapidly 
and burned the houses they had constructed, but they had fortunately 
removed everything of value in advance. By the last of the month they 
had their ship full rigged and everything in order, not forgetting their 
dead comrades, over whose graves they raised memorial cairns. The 
body of the one buried at sea had been thrown up meanwhile, and was 
interred with the others. July the first the captain made a record of 
what had transpired and of his future intentions, and left it at the cross 
he had erected. They paid a final visit to the tombs of their dead, 
where morning and evening prayers were read, and the last meals on 
land were prepared and eaten. The captain, with characteristic good 
feeling, composed the following lines : 

I were unkind, unless that I did shed 

Before I part, some tears upon our dead ; 

And when my eyes be drj, I will not cease 

In heart to pray their bones may rest in peace. 

Their better parts, good souls, I know were given 

With the intent that they return to Heaven. 

Their lives they spent to the last drop of blood, 

Seeking God's glory and their country's good; 

And as a valiant soldier rather dies 

Than yield his courage to his enemies, 

And stops their way with his hew'd flesh, when death 

Hath quite deprived him of his strength and breath ; 

So have they spent themselves, and here they lie, 

A famous mark of our discovery. 

We that survive, perchance may end. our days 

In some employment meriting no praise ; 

They have outlived this fear, and their brave ends 

Will ever be an honor to their friends. 

Why drop you so, mine eyes? Nay, rather pour 

My sad departure in a solemn shower. 

The winter's cold that lately froze our blood, 



DANGER FROM STORM. 103 

Now, were it so extreme, might do this good, 

As make these tears bright pearls, which I would lay 

Tomb'd safely with you, till doom's fatal day; 

That in this solitary place, where none 

Will ever come to breathe a. sigh or groan, 

Some remnant might be extant of the true 

And faithful love I ever tender'd you. 

Oh ! rest in peace, dear friends, and — let it be 

No pride to say — the sometime part of me ! 

What pain and anguish doth afflict the head, 

The heart and stomach, when the limbs are dead? 

So grieved I kiss your graves, and vow to die 

A foster-father to your memory ! 

They now set sail on" the return voyage, but were driven about by 
wind and icebergs in James' Bay during the whole month, for though 
they passed Cape Henrietta on the 2 2d, they were again driven within 
it on the 30th. On the eighth of August they had reached latitude 55 ° 
34', or about where they had parted from Captain Fox, twelve months 
lacking three weeks, before — a weary year! And they were still in as 
great danger as ever, for the ship leaked so badly that they became 
apprehensive that they must, after all their labors, abandon her. Nor 
were they yet free of their persistent enemy, the ice, from which they 
might be said to have been never free for fourteen months. Finally, on 
the 17th, they got clear of the ice, and on the 22d they were in 58 ° 20/, 
and two days later in 63 30', about the entrance of Hudson's Bay. 
But lest they might be tempted to relax their efforts — in which and the 
energy to put them forth had lain their salvation from the first — a fierce 
storm arose on the 25th, so that they could neither eat nor sleep for 
twenty-four hours. To add to their discomfort and danger, it brought 
the ice again upon them. Upon consultation with his men, Capt. 
James now concluded to turn homeward. The strain had been too long 
continued to warrant any further efforts at exploration in new directions. 
The year had been exceptionally unfavorable, and they had already 
entered on the 16th month of absence. They were in latitude 6$° 30% 
when this resolution was taken, and still among icebergs which over- 



104 



ARRIVE AT BRISTOL. 



topped the mast-head. In a week they reached Resolution Island, at 
the mouth of Hudson's Strait, and it was not until Oct. 22, 1632, that 
they reached Bristol, harassed to the very last by adverse winds, after 
an absence of seventeen months and five days, or very nearly the period 
for which Capt. James had provided stores and supplies in advance. 




CHAPTER XL 

AN INTERVAL BETWEEN ARCTIC VOYAGES WINTERING IN THE 

ARCTIC REGION DEATH OF MAYEN OTHER DUTCH VOYAGES 

CAPTAIN RAVEN LOSES HIS SHIP BRUTALITY OF A DUTCH 

CAPTAIN WHICH IS THE WAY TO INDIA? 

A long interval in Arctic voyages of exploration now ensued. The 
labors of Captains Fox and James had increased the probability that the 
Northwest Passage should be sought elsewhere. The one had failed to 
find it in the extreme north, the other in the extreme south, and they 
and their predecessors, in the west of Hudson's Bay. And, as we have 
seen, Baffin's Bay had been declared against by its discoverers. Public 
opinion ceased to be occupied with the question, and in England it was 
very earnestly engaged in discussing the great religious and political 
questions of the day. The persecution of the Puritans, the beheading of 
Charles I., the rise and fall of Cromwell, the restoration of Charles II., 
the revolution and expulsion of James II., with the turmoil and confusion 
and pre-occupation incidental to these various changes, left little leisure 
for outside enterprises. "The tight little island" itself supplied an ample 
field for the enterprise and daring of her most adventurous sons. It is 
only in times of peace that man occupies himself with discovery, or 
makes any important advance in the arts of life. The art of war is a 
deadly art, and all its tendencies are to destruction. It may sometimes 
be necessary, but even then is only a choice of evils. 

In France, " the wars of the Fronde," the struggles of the parlia- 
ment and of the nobility against the encroachments of the crown, the 
burdens of taxation and administration, and later on the military erup- 
tions of the " great monarch," with the attendant glory, produced the 
same results as in England, in relation to voyages of exploration. 

Meanwhile, the "Thirty Years' War," 1618-48, had embroiled all 

105 



106 FROZEN UP. 

Europe. And so the remainder of the seventeenth century, stormy 
enough on land, was marked by a complete lull in maritime exploration. 
Such voyages as were undertaken to America had colonization, not dis- 
covery, for their object ; and in them were engaged some of the most 
enterprising spirits among the English, French and Dutch of that age. 
But commerce, besides supplying the wants of the belligerent hosts con- 
tending on almost every battlefield of Europe, was not unmindful of the 
peculiar riches of Arctic seas. Accordingly we find that Dutch and 
English whaling voyages continued uninterruptedly, and from among 
them a few have been selected as most noteworthy for the stirring ad- 
ventures, hairbreadth escapes and tragic endings which characterized 
them. Through such experiences, in great measure, has been slowly 
and painfully gathered a knowledge of the methods and precautions 
necessary to the preservation of human life in those northern latitudes. 

WINTERING IN THE ARCTIC. 

The Dutch had offered prizes to such as would volunteer to spend 
a winter on Mayen Island, the headquarters of the whale fishery. This 
island had been discovered and taken possession of for the States of Hol- 
land, in i6n,by the captain of one of their whalers, Jan Mayen, for 
whom it was named. In the summer of 1633, before the return of the 
whaling fleet, seven men volunteered to winter there, in latitude 71 , not 
quite midway from Iceland to Spitzbergen. Their sojourn began with 
the 26th of August, and they suffered no inconvenience until the 8th of 
October, when a fire first became necessary to their comfort. After that 
date the winter approached rapidly, and on the 19th ice began to form 
on the shore. The cold and ice grew in severity until the 19th of No- 
vember, when the sea became frozen as far as the eye could reach. 
Afterward the weather grew mild for about three weeks, but on the 8th 
of December the cold set in with renewed severity, and they confined 
themselves to the hut for nearly four months, idle and inactive. They 
had lived meanwhile, on salt meat, and had killed but few bears, and 
their supply of beer and brandy was, perhaps, too liberal for their 
welfare. 



DEATH FROM SCURVT. 107 

About the middle of January they succeeded in killing- a single 
bear, the flesh of which afforded a healthful change in their diet. It was 
the middle of March before they killed another; but scurvy had set in 
and taken such hold by that time that the relief derived was only pallia- 
tive, not preventive nor curative. On the 3d of April only two of the 
seven could stand erect; and on the 16th one of them died. This entry 
was made on the record a few days later: " We are now reduced to so 
sad a state that none of my comrades can help themselves, and the 
whole burden, therefore, lies on my shoulders. I shall perform my duty 
as long as I am able, and it pleases God to give me strength. I am 
now about to assist our commander out of his cabin; he thinks it will 
relieve his pain ; he is struggling with death. The night is dark, and the 
wind blows from the south." On the 23d he died; and on the 26th they 
killed their dog, a poor substitute for bear's meat. On the 28th the ice 
left the bay, and on the 30th the sun shone brilliantly. But it was yet 
thirty-five days before the whaling fleet appeared, and when at last it had 
arrived none of the seven were found alive, and the record of April 
30th was the last made. A little of the energy and forethought of Capt. 
James and his crew in James' Bay, two years before, would have saved 
them all, for though they were almost twenty degrees farther north, the 
winter was comparatively mild, and the genial breath of spring visited 
them early. It is now understood that the chief danger from Arctic 
winters does not arise from the high latitude, but from the neglect of 
proper precautions. This principle is enforced by the result of a similar 
experiment farther north, the same year. 

Seven other Dutchmen had volunteered to winter in North Bay on 
the north coast of Spitzbergen, latitude 80?, and began their trial four 
days later than those on Mayen Island. No sooner had the fleet left 
than they set to work to collect fresh provisions to last them until the 
return of the fleet in 1634. They hunted the reindeer and caught wild 
fowls, and gathered herbs. They killed whales and narwals, or sea- 
unicorns, and thus secured both food and exercise. When the sea began 
to freeze in October, they broke through the ice and let down their nets 
to catch fish. And when toward the close of October the cold had be- 



108 CONTINUED HARDSHIPS. 

come so intense and the ice so thick that they could no longer fish or 
even go abroad, they exercised themselves as actively as they could in- 
doors. And so they passed through the yvinter without a death, or 
even serious illness; and on May 27, 1634, only eight days earlier than the 
arrival of the fleet at Mayen Island, they were taken aboard safe and 
sound, after a sojourn of nine months, lacking five days, in latitude 8o°. 
If further illustration of the principle referred to be desired, it may 
be obtained from the annals of the same people. Before the fleet re- 
turned to Holland in 1634, seven other men were left at North Bay to 
renew the experiment. They were supplied with an abundance of salt 
provisions, liquors and medicines, and began their sojourn on the nth of 
September. Either because they were of the indolent disposition of the 
men left on Mayen Island, or because of the eleven days' later advent, or 
possibly because the denizens of the forest, anticipating a keener winter, 
withdrew earlier to their winter quarters, they failed to provide a store of 
fresh provisions. They soon became victims of the scurvy, which they 
tried to guard against by eating separately, and avoiding contact with 
each other, foolishly supposing it was caught by infection instead of 
recognizing that its fruitful source was the salt provisions, which they 
had not the energy to vary with the fruits of the chase. On Jan. 14 
one died, and on the 17th another, and soon a third followed. The 
surviving four busied themselves in making coffins for their dead com- 
rades — an unprofitable industry which showed their good feeling, but 
not their good sense. In the early part of February they killed a single 
fox; and bears prowled around for whom they should have made living 
coffins in their stomachs. On the 2 2d of February only one was in a 
condition to feed the fire; and on the date of the last record made, four 
days later, the four were still alive, but the fire-tender had succumbed 
with the others. " We cannot long survive," writes the penman, 
" without food or firing ; we are unable to render each other the least 
assistance, and each must bear his own burden." On the arrival of 
the whalers for the season of 1635 they were dead, not one having 
survived, thus completely reversing the record of their predecessors on 
the same spot. 



BRUTALITT OF A DUTCH CAPTAIN. 109 

9 

A number of these whaling adventures in the north might be re- 
counted, and we will briefly mention a few. In 1639 Capt. Didier 
Albert Raevn lost his ship by contact with an iceberg in a driving snow- 
storm. Twenty out of eighty-six were rescued by another whaler forty- 
eight hours later, and of these one was so injured by the exposure that 
he died soon after. In 1646, four survivors of a crew of forty-two 
Englishmen were rescued from the ice by Capt. John Cornelius Van 
Muniken, after they had been exposed for fourteen days. They had dug 
a deep hole in the ice and piled hlocks of ice all around to protect them 
from the weather. They had fortunately saved provisions and tools, and 
the time of year was not unfavorable, being the end of May and the 
beginning of June. But three died in a few days after being taken on 
board, so that only one was finally saved to return to England. In 1670, 
Capt. Lorenz Pit, with thirty-six men, were similarly wrecked by the 
ice, and after nearly sixty- hours' exposure, were all saved. In 1675 not 
less than fourteen Dutch whalers are known to have been lost off Spits- 
bergen. Capt. Cornelius Bille, with his crew of thirty-four men, were 
saved after being tossed about for fourteen days in an open boat, some 
years before. This year his ship and another, being in company close 
to the border of the impenetrable polar ice, were crushed by a sudden 
breaking loose of the icebergs. 

The crews managed to scramble on to the ice before the vessels were 
entirely submerged, and they saved the boats and some provisions. Capt. 
Bille, with a few of the more enterprising of the combined crews, sixty 
persons, took two of the boats, and were saved by other whalers. After 
ten days those who had remained concluded Bille's course was the 
wisest, and they also took to the sea. They fell in with a French 
whaler, and were humanely taken aboard. Eight of them not wishing 
to trespass on the Frenchman's generous hospitality, whom they found 
overcrowded, rowed off to a Dutchman, which came in sight. To their 
dismay the brutal captain refused to give them shelter, and they were 
compelled to take refuge on the ice. There they passed sixty hours un- 
der the shelter of a sail, within sight of their countrymen whose vessel 
was at anchor. Owing to the remonstrance of his men, or dreading that 



110 THE OLD QUESTION. 

his misconduct might be reported at home, the surly captain relented so 
far as to permit his shipwrecked countrymen to sleep on board. A few 
days later, while on the ice, he weighed anchor, leaving them behind. 
They pursued in their boat, and were at last taken on board another 
vessel. In 1676 a fleet of Dutch whalers was suddenly caught by the 
ice in Vaigats Strait on the eve of their return, and were saved by the 
resolution and presence of mind of Capt. Kees, who allayed the panic. 
After a detention of nineteen days, the weather grew mild, a thaw set in, 
and they found themselves free as suddenly as they were previously locked 
up. Coolness and courage, patience and energy, a keen insight, good 
judgment, and quick execution, together with abundance of fresh whole- 
some food — which the canning process has now made easy — are the 
chief requisites to success in Arctic voyages. But the examples given 
also show that while these precautions reduce the risk to a minimum 
there is always great danger, which only the best trained and hardiest 
can hope to cope with successfully. Arctic explorers should be selected 
with great care; and no unfit volunteer should be permitted to endanger 
the lives of others and his own. 

AGAIN, WHICH IS THE WAY TO INDIA? 

It was now nearly seventy years since Hudson had pronounced 
against the availability for commercial purposes of a northeast route to 
China and India, and exactly one hundred years since Frobisher had 
tried in vain to accomplish " the only great thing left undone in the 
world," a Northwest Passage to the same countries. Many attempts 
had been made in both directions, some new geographical information 
had been gleaned at infinite cost and labor, but the problem remained 
unsolved. The latest trials had been made in the west, and there too, 
they were resumed. Baffled and disappointed, but not entirely cast down, 
civilized man would not give it up and rest content. The ocean should 
yet be made to surrender its secrets to the lord of creation. This was 
more than a hundred years before Byron sang, " Man marks the earth 
with ruin; his control stops with the shore," — a dictum which man will 
not accept. Man's control of the sea is different, but it is also very real; 



THE ENTERPRISE OF MARINERS. Ill 

and as many lives arc lost to-day on land as on sea, in proportion to the 
numbers on each. The mariners of England prefer to sing with Thom- 
son, 

"Britannia rules the waves;" 

and neither they nor their American cousins have abandoned the hope of 
searching every nook and corner of this globe, whether on land or sea. 
The love of knowledge and of commerce still drives them on. Will 
they succeed? No one knows. 



CHAPTER XII. 

NORTHWEST VOYAGE OF GILLAM ALLEGED DISCOVERY OF A NORTH- 
WEST passage — Hudson's bay company chartered — a 

pilot's story of the north POLE VOYAGE of WOOD WRECK 

OF WOOD'S SHIP — JAMES KNIGHT REPORT OF INDIANS CON- 
CERNING MINES. 

A generation had passed away since the voyages of Fox and James, 
and Hudson Bay had begun to pass into oblivion, as no other than a 
dreary and dangerous waste of water in the midst of inhospitable and 
uninhabited lands, when in 1669 the attention of England was again 
turned to it. 

The fur traders of New France had penetrated through the forests of 
Canada in every direction in pursuit of that very profitable branch of 
commerce. One of these enterprising adventurers, Grosselier, reached 
the shore of Hudson's Bay. Believing he had made an important orig- 
inal discovery, he returned to France to lay it at the feet of his sovereign. 
But the grand monarque — Louis XIV. — was more concerned about ex- 
tending his home dominion to the Rhine than his transatlantic domains to 
the Hudson Bay or elsewhere. So Grosselier's story fell on deaf ears, 
until it reached those of the English ambassador, who encouraged him 
to try the Court of St. James, and gave him a letter to Prince Rupert, 
cousin of Charles II., who had been admiral in the war of the Restora- 
tion, and a few years later against the Dutch. He was favorably re- 
ceived, and intrusted with one of the king's ships, for the purpose of 
founding a colony on the shore of Hudson's Bay, and searching for the 
Northwest Passage. Henry Oldenburg, first secretary of the Royal 
Historical Society, established in 1662, and correspondent of Milton and 
Boyle, thus wrote to the latter in relation to this voyage : 

" Surely I need not tell you from hence what is said here with great 

112 



FORT CHARLES. 113 

joy of the discovery of a Northwest Passage made by two English and 
one Frenchman, lately represented by them to His Majesty at Oxford, and 
answered by the royal grant of a vessel to sail into Hudson's Bay and 
thence into the South Sea ; these men affirming, as I heard, that with a 
boat they went out of a lake in Canada into a river which discharged 
itself northwest into the South Sea, into which they went and returned 
northeast into Hudson's Bay." 

In 1670 the king granted a liberal patent, or charter, to the Hud- 
son's Bay Company, which consisted of his cousin Rupert, and a few 
specified associates. The company was actually invested with absolute 
proprietorship and a real though subordinate sovereignty, and the 
exclusive traffic of a territory of unknown extent, loosely described as 
Rupert's Land, and ordained to cover all that had been discovered or 
might yet be discovered within the entrance to Hudson's Strait — a 
magnificent grant, truly; there was nothing mean about Charles. "In 
consideration," says he, " of their having undertaken, at their own cost 
and charges, an expedition to Hudson's Bay for the discovery of a new 
passage into the South Sea, and for the finding of some trade in furs, 
minerals and other commodities, whereby great advantage might prob- 
ably arise to the king and his dominions, His Majesty, for better pro- 
moting their endeavors for the good of his people, was pleased to confer 
on them exclusively all the lands and territories in Hudson's Bay, 
together with all the trade thereof, and all others which they should 
acquire," etc. 

Though discovery was one of the primary objects of this princely 
endowment, Capt. Zachariah Gillam, who was placed in command of 
the expedition, seems to have added but little to the geographical knowl- 
edge of the regions of Hudson's Bay. He wintered at the mouth of 
what he named Rupert's River, in honor of his patron, and built a small 
stone fort at its mouth, which he named Fort Charles, in honor of the 
king. This was the first English settlement in the Hudson Bay Com- 
pany's territory ; and for about a century they confined themselves to the 
coast, and are not known to have made a single effort at additional dis- 
covery. The indisposition of monopolists to diminish their dividends by 



114 STORT OF A GREENLAND PILOT. 

unprofitable expenditures, accounts for the omission. In 1770 they 
explored the basin of the Coppermine, and toward the close of the cen- 
tury, that of the Mackenzie. In the first half of the present century 
they patronized two or three overland expeditions, all of which will 
receive attention in due time. In 1869 the company was finally bought 
out by the British government for $1,500,000, and its territory formally 
incorporated with the Dominion of Canada in 1870, on payment of the 
same amount. 

Capt. Gillam spent a more tolerable winter, owing probably to its 
being a milder season, than his predecessor, James, had done on Charl- 
ton Island, in nearly the same latitude, and returned to England with- 
out having received any clue from his supercargo, Grosselier, or any 
one else. 

THE NORTHEAST VOYAGE OF WOOD. 

Turn we now to the eastward to see what the navigators were able 
to achieve in that direction. Joseph Moxon (1627-1700) hydrographer 
to Charles II., and manufacturer of globes and maps, as well as writer 
on mathematics and navigation, and Fellow of the Royal Society, 
theorized about the Northeast Passage to China until he satisfied him- 
self and some others that it was feasible, and a new interest was awak- 
ened. He adduced many arguments, mainly from his inner conscious- 
ness, as was the custom in those days, and not to any large extent from 
demonstrable facts, which is the modern and scientific method. He 
added the following story, which doubtless proved convincing, but it 
lacks one element of persuasion with even the most incredulous — truth. 
He relates that the pilot of a Greenlander, or whaler in Greenland seas, 
declared to him that he sailed to the North Pole, and continues thus: 

" Whereupon, his relation being novel to me, I entered into dis- 
course with him, and seemed to question the truth of what he said ; but 
he did assure me that it was true, and that the ship was then at Amster- 
dam, and many of the men belonging to her could justify the truth of 
it; and told me, moreover, that they had sailed two degrees beyond the 
Pole. I asked him if they found no land or islands about the Pole. He 



CAPTAIN JOHN WOOD. 115 

replied, 'No; it was a free, open sea.' I asked him if they did not meet 
with a great deal of ice. He said, 'No; they saw no ice.' I asked him 
what weather they had there. He told me 'Fine, warm weather, such as 
was at Amsterdam in the summer time, and as hot.'" There could no 
longer be any doubt. The hardy pilot growing bolder as he progressed, 
and finding a student simpleton for an interlocutor, did not hesitate to 
draw freely on " his imagination for his facts." Had Moxon kept up 
his interrogator}', he might have learned that the fish jumped into the 
" ship which was then at Amsterdam," ready cooked and eager to be 
eaten, and that in each one when opened was found a pearl as large as 
a hen's egg. 

Among the others-who were carried away by the "arguments" of 
Moxon, was Capt. John Wood. He had acquired experience and dis- 
tinction under Admiral Marlborough against the Dutch and Barbary 
corsairs. In 1675 he drew up a memorial to the king, tinged with san- 
guine expectations of surmounting all difficulties. In this he presented 
the argument based on the configuration of the earth, and modestly sug- 
gested that his predecessors may have missed the proper passage. He 
constructed a map to accompany the memorial, and presented both to 
the king and his brother, the Duke of York, the future James II. He 
showed in a manner satisfactory to himself that Japan could be reached 
in a few weeks, and that a voyage to the Indian or Malay Archipelago 
would be easier, safer and shorter by this route. Prominent merchants 
and navigators were consulted by the king, but the delusion had seized 
them as well as Moxon and Wood. It was in the air, like many pop- 
ular but foolish enterprises before and since. The " Speedwell," one of 
the king's ships, was placed at his disposal, and fitted out in the royal 
dockyards at Deptford, at the king's expense. She was supplied with 
all the best appliances of the period, and furnished with a crew of sixty- 
eight men. The Duke of York and seven associates fitted out at their 
expense a smaller vessel of no tons, named the "Prosperous," to accom- 
pany the " Speedwell." She was manned by eighteen men. Both 
were victualed for sixteen months, and loaded with such merchandise 
as was thought likely to find a ready market in Japan. Capt. Flames 



116 WRECK OF WOOD'S SHIP. 

took command of the "Prosperous"; and it was agreed between the 
commanders that they should direct their course between Nova Zembla 
and Spitzbergen. " My idea was," says Wood, "to follow exactly the 
track of Barentz, and proceed due northeast after reaching the North 
Cape, in order to get between Greenland." Spitzbergen was then sup- 
posed to be a part of Greenland. 

May 28, 1676, the vessels left the Nore, and on the 2d of June took 
refuge from a northwest gale in Brassa Sound in the Shetlands. On the 
tenth they weighed anchor, and on the 2 2d had rounded North Cape, 
whence they sailed northeast and immediately encountered the ice in 
latitude 76°. For five days they skirted this great mass of ice vainly 
seeking an opening. Wood concluded it was one vast ice continent 
stretching from Nova Zembla to "Greenland," and that Barentz and 
others were mistaken in the opinion that there was land to the north of 
So°. On the 29th of June he changed his course to the west, abandon- 
ing his cherished theories. They had proceeded but a little way when 
the "Speedwell" struck upon some hidden rocks, the extension of 
which, in sarcastic contrast with the name of his ship, he named Point 
Speedill, in 74 ° 30', the most western promontory of Nova Zembla. 
The ship lay beating on the rocks for several hours, the crew laboring 
in vain to save her. The weather clearing a little, they were amazed to 
find land right under their stern. A boat was sent to ascertain if a land- 
ing could be effected, but it returned unsuccessful. The fog lifting more 
completely, the captain descried a clear stretch of beach, which the long 
boat with twenty men was enabled to reach. The boat returned. Some 
provisions and supplies were now put aboard the small boat, but she 
was upset, and her cargo, including the captain's papers and money, 
and one of the crew, were lost. Another seaman was left aboard so ill 
that he could not be removed. All the others were taken ashore by 
the long boat, and a tent was erected and a fire built. On the 30th 
the ship began to go to pieces and much of the wreck floated to the 
shore, supplying them with material for huts and firewood. The next 
two days they secured some provisions that were washed ashore from 
the wreck. Finally on the eighth their more fortunate companion who 



REPORTS OF A COPPER MINE. 117 

had escaped the shoals on the 29th of June and gone out to sea, returned 
in search of her consort, and took the survivors safely on board. After 
this great misfortune and fortunate deliverance, Capt. Wood abandoned 
the pursuit of the success of which he had been so sanguine a few months 
before, and on the very next day the "Prosperous" sailed for England, 
where she arrived on the 23d of August. 

KNIGHT, BARLOW AND VAUGHAN. 

The fate of Wood's expedition in 1676 very naturally dampened 
not only his own ardor but that of the English people for the discovery 
of the Northeast Passage; and indeed, his was the last attempt under 
English auspices in that direction. The burden of searching for the 
Northwest Passage had been officially laid on the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany in their charter of 1670, and the rest of England was virtually 
debarred from trespassing. After the manner of monopolists, the com- 
pany seem to have interpreted their charter stringently as to privileges, 
and loosely as to obligations. In 17 19 the governor of their trading 
colony at the mouth of the Nelson River was James Knight. He was 
almost eighty years of age, or old enough to have gone out with their 
first colony in 1670. He was now at least at the head of affairs, and ap- 
parently had been in those regions some years. He had learned from 
the natives that at some distance to the north and on the bank of a navi- 
gable river was to be found a rich mine of copper. This information 
stimulated him to undertake a voyage of discovery, and he applied to 
the Company for the use of two ships for that purpose. Preferring 
the diligent prosecution of the fur trade, they declined; but Knight, who 
apparently had been awakened to a sense of duty by his desire to find 
copper, now reminded them of the obligation imposed by their char- 
ter to institute voyages of discovery, and to make the reminder 
effective, threatened an appeal to the king's ministers. 

The company finally yielded to Knight's peculiar powers of persua- 
sion, and fitted out two vessels which were placed at his disposal. They 
were called the "Albany" and "Discovery," and were respectively under 
the immediate command of George Barlow and David Vaughan. 



118 LOSS OF KNIGHT AND PARTY. 

Knight, with his captains and crews, sailed in the summer or autumn of 
1719, "by God's permission to find out the Straits of Ainan, in order 
to discover gold and other valuable commodities to the northward." 
Having won his point, Knight seems to have cared as little about the 
Northwest Passage as his employers. The ships never returned. In 
1722 the "Whalebone" was dispatched under Capt. Scroggs to search 
for Knight and his companions. They sailed from Churchill River, in 
Button's Bay, to the northward ; but in his report Scroggs made no 
mention of having instituted any search whatever for the lost naviga- 
tors or for the Northwest Passage. But he brought back confirmation 
of the reports about copper. He " had seen two northern Indians, who 
told him of a rich copper mine somewhere in that country, upon the 
shore, near the surface of the earth; and they could direct the sloop so 
near as to lay her side to it and be soon loaded. They had brought 
some pieces of copper to Churchill that made it evident that there was a 
mine thereabouts. They had sketched out the country with charcoal 
before they left Churchill, and so far as they went, it agreed very well." 

Nothing was heard of Knight or his comrades until the overland 
exploring expedition of Samuel Hearne, under the auspices of the Hud- 
son Bay Company, in 1769, just fifty years after they had set out. 
Hearne gleaned the following account of them from the Esquimaux of 
Marble Island: 

" When the vessels arrived at this place, it was very late in the fall 
(of 1 7 19), and in getting them into the harbor, the largest received 
much damage; but on being fairly in, the English began to build a 
house, their number at that time seeming to be about fifty. As soon as 
the ice permitted in the following summer (1720), the Esquimaux paid 
them another visit, by which time the number of the English was very 
greatly reduced, and those that were living seemed very unhealthy. 
According to the account given by the Esquimaux, they were very 
busily employed, but, about what they could not easily describe; proba- 
bly in lengthening the long boat, for at a little distance from the house 
there was now (1769) lying a great quantity of oak chips, which most 
assuredly had been made by carpenters. 



LAST SURVIVORS. 



119 



"A sickness and famine occasioned such havoc among the English 
that by the setting in of the second winter, 1720, some of the Esqui- 
maux took up their abode on the opposite side of the harbor to that on 
which the English had built their houses, and frequently supplied them 
with such provisions as they had, which chiefly consisted of whale's 
blubber, and seal's flesh and train oil. When the spring advanced, the 
Esquimaux went to the continent; and on their visiting Marble Island 
again, in the summer of 1 72 1, they found only five of the English alive, 
and those were in such distress for provisions that they eagerly ate the 
seal's flesh, and whale's blubber quite raw as they purchased it from 
the natives. This disordered them so much that three of them died in 
a few days; and the other two, though so veiy weak, made a shift to 
bury them. Those two survived many days after the rest, and fre- 
quently went to the top of an adjacent rock, and earnestly looked to the 
south and east, as if in expectation of some vessels coming to their 
relief. After continuing there a considerable time together, and nothing 
appearing in sight, they sat down close together and wept bitterly. At 
length one of the two died, and the other's strength was so far exhausted 
that he fell down and died also, in attempting to dig a grave for his 
companion. The skulls and other large bones of these two men are 
now (1769) lying above ground, close to the house. The longest liver 
was, according to the Esquimaux' account, always employed in working 
iron into implements for them; probably he was the armorer or smith." 




CHAPTER XIII. 

ARCTIC VOYAGES OF THE RUSSIANS — VOYAGE OF THE COSSACK 

DESHNIEV CONQUEST OF KAMCHATKA ATTEMPTED REDUCTION 

OF THE TCIIUKTCHIS. 

The solution of the question that had so long pressed on tne minds 
of the natives of Western Europe would have been of the utmost im- 
portance to Russia, if that state had been in a condition to engage in the 
commerce of the East. But the Northeast Passage was too big a ques- 
tion, and its discovery too great an enterprise for the feeble Russia of 
three centuries ago. She did not even feel an interest in maritime ex- 
peditions until the advent of Chancellor, in 1554, showed her a way to 
obtain West European goods without having to receive them through 
her rivals and enemies, the Poles. Even as late as the beginning of the 
seventeenth century nothing was known of the Arctic regions of Siberia 
east of the Yenisei River. The country beyond had doubtless been 
often traversed by companies of Russians analagous to what the French 
in Canada had named forest couriers or wood rangers, that is, private ad- 
venturers in search of furs and game. But such information as these 
were able to glean remained scattered, and had never been collected so as 
to be made available to the public, or serve the interests of geography or 
commerce. 

It was in 1646 that the first Russian voyage of exploration in the 

Arctic was made, and that was simply a coasting voyage, eastward from 

Kolyma, by private adventurers. They found a clear channel between 

the land and the ice, which was firmly grounded on the shelving coast, 

leaving room for their small vessel to ply along under sail. After sailing 

two days they anchored in a bay and became acquainted with a native 

tribe, the Tchuktchis (Chookchees), a branch of the Esquimaux race. 

Neither party understood the language of the other; but they began to 

120 



EXPEDITION OF THE COSSACK DESHNIEV. 121 

traffic after the manner described by Herodotus in relation to the barba- 
rous tribes of Africa. The Russians displayed their wares upon the 
strand, and withdrew ; the Tchuktchis took what they wanted, leaving 
sea-horse teeth, carved and whole, in exchange. These the Russians 
gathered up and returned home. 

In 164S seven vessels left the Kolyma, under the command of Semoen 
Deshniev, a Cossack, to discover the river Anadir. Four of the seven 
vessels were soon lost, but one or more of the others went through what 
is now Behring's Strait, or more probably were hauled across the pro- 
montory, for they reached the mouth of the Anadir, in the gulf of the 
same name, south of Behring Strait, on the Asiatic side. Deshniev's 
narrative begins with the great cape of the Tchuktchis, which is sup- 
posed to be Cape East in Behring Strait. "It is situated," says Desh- 
niev, " between the north and northeast, and turns circularly toward the 
river Anadir. Over against the cape are two islands, upon which were 
seen some men of the Tchuktchi nation, who had holes pierced in their 
lips, through which were stuck pieces of the teeth of the sea-horse " — 
evidently American Esquimaux. Two of the three remaining vessels 
were either lost in making the voyage or left behind before getting to the 
strait, for Deshniev arrived with only one, and this was wrecked a little 
south of the liver's mouth. The crew of his vessel consisted of twenty- 
five men, and they now proceeded to return overland. They wandered 
ten weeks through a woodless and uninhabited country, until they came 
to a river on the banks of which they encountered a small tribe called 
Anauli, whom they, notwithstanding their own desolate condition, did 
not hesitate to exterminate — a piece of wanton cruelty which very de- 
servedly added to their own distress. This discovery led to considerable 
traffic with the barbarous tribes north of Kamchatka, which, however 
was mostly carried on through the interior. 

In 1696 these Russian or Cossack adventurers penetrated south to the 
Kamchatka River, plundering the native villages under the pretext of col- 
lecting tribute; and in 1697 Vladimir Atlassov, a Cossack officer, un- 
dertook the conquest of Kamchatka. He traveled overland from 
Irkoutsk to the Anadir, but states from hearsay or observation that be- 




122 



CONQUEST OF KAMTKCHATKA. 123 

tween the Kolyma and Anadir there are two great capes, the west of 
which, probably what is called Cape North, could never be doubled by 
any vessel, because of the quantity of ice that lines its shores at all seasons 
of the year. The Kamchadales were easily conquered, and before 1706 
the more warlike Tchuktchis shared the same fate. The former are de- 
scribed as smaller than the latter, with small faces but great beards. 
They lived underground in winter, and in cabins raised from the ground 
on posts, in summer. These cabins were reached by ladders. They 
buried their meats in the earth, wrapped in leaves, until it was quite 
putrid. For cooking it, they used earthen or wooden pots, heating the 
water by throwing into it stones which they had made red-hot. " Their 
cookery smelt so strong," says Atlassor, " that a Russian could not sup- 
port the odor of it. " 

The next Russian navigator to the Arctics was Taras Staduchin, 
who left the Kolyma a few years later, to explore the Great Cape of the 
Tchuktchis, which, however, he was unable to reach by water. Aban- 
doning his vessel, he crossed the Isthmus at its narrowest point, leaving 
the land to the north and east, as far as Behring Strait, unexplored. 
Russian activity was now mainly directed in those northeastern regions, 
to overland military expeditions for the more complete subjugation of 
the rude tribes in that section of Siberia. 

In 171 1 a Russian embassy was sent to the Tchuktchis to demand 
hostages, which were refused, and it was not until 1718 that they for- 
mally made their submission at the Russian fort, which had been erected 
at the mouth of the Anadir. The chief of the embassy of 1 7 1 1 , Peter 
Sin Topov, a Cossack, gave a description of the people, their American 
neighbors and the country, of which the following is an abstract: 

The Tchuktchi " Nos " or Cape, is destitute of trees. On the shores 
near the Nos were found sea-horse teeth in great numbers. The 
Tchuktchi, in their solemn engagements, invoked the sun to guarantee 
their performances. Some among them had flocks of tame reindeer, 
which obliged them often to change their place of residence; but those 
who had no reindeer inhabited the coasts on both sides of the Nos, near 
banks where the sea-horses were wont to come, on which with fish 



124 TCHUKTCHI IDEA OF AMERICANS. 

they mostly subsisted. They had habitations hollowed in the earth. 
Opposite to the Nos, they said, an island might be seen at a great dis- 
tance, whieh they called the Great Country, and which unquestionably 
meant America. The inhabitants of that land pierced holes through 
their cheeks, in which they inserted large ornaments made of pieces cut 
from the teeth of the sea-horse. These people had a different language 
from the Tchuktchi, with whom they had been at war from time im- 
memorial. They used bows and arrows, as do the Tchuktchi. Popov 
saw ten men of that country, with their cheeks pierced as described, who 
were prisoners with the Tchuktchi. In summer they could reach that 
land in one day in their boats or canoes, which are made of whalebone, 
covered with sealskins; in winter also in one day, with good reindeer, 
and no obstruction or accident to their sledges or teams. At the Cape 
were to be seen no wild land animals but wolves and red foxes; but on 
the other land, that is, in America, there were many more, as sables, 
martens, bears, otters, and many kinds of foxes; and the inhabitants had 
large herds of tame deer. Popov computed both classes of the Tchuktchi 
at over 2,000 adult males, and the Americans from what he learned, at 
about 6,000. The Tchuktchi reckoned the journey from the Cape to 
Anadir at ten weeks with laden reindeer, provided no storm of wind or 
snow should arise. They mentioned also a smaller island about halfway 
between the Cape and the Great Country — probably St. Lawrence or 
Clark Island — from which the Great Country might be seen on a clear 
day. 



■' - J. 




■ — .1 



CHAPTER XIV. 

VOYAGES OF BEHRING START FOR KAMCHATKA RIVER DISCOVERY 

OF BEHRING'S STRAIT REACH LAND ON AMERICAN SIDE IN- 
VESTIGATIONS OF STELLER FRIGHT OF A NATIVE AT THE 

TASTE OF BRANDY REDUCED BY SICKNESS BEHRING BECOMES 

DISABLED THE SHIPS' COMPANY DIVIDED A STRANDED 

WHALE DEATH OF BEHRING. 

It is clear that the Russians were in a fair way to reach America by 
sea or land, as the case might prove to be, in the neighborhood of what 
soon became known as Behring Strait. Just before his death in 1 725, 
the greatest of the Russian monarchs, Peter the Great, occupied himself 
with the details of an Arctic voyage of discovery, the chief object of 
which was to ascertain definitely whether or not America and Asia were 
divided by water at the extreme north. His instructions were these : 

1. That one or two ships should be built at Kamchatka, or elsewhere 
on the Eastern Ocean. 

2. That when constructed and fitted out they should proceed north- 
ward and ascertain if there was a waterway between the continents. 

3. To ascertain if there were in those parts any harbors or trading- 
posts belonging to Europeans. 

4. That another expedition should proceed from Archangel to the 
Arctic Sea, and move eastward to meet, if practicable, the one moving 
north from the coast of Kamchatka. 

5. To keep a record of what should be discovered, which was to be 
brought by the commander to St. Petersburg at the close of the voyage. 

The expedition from Archangel proved unfruitful. One of the two 

ships was soon hemmed in by the ice, and was unable to advance. The 

other started on the voyage but was lost among the ice, and was 

never heard of. 

125 



126 START FOR KAMTKCHATKA RIVER. 

The Eastern expedition, which was not ready until 1728, was put 
under command of Vitus Behring, a Dane by birth, but for some years 
in the service of Russia, where he had risen to the rank of commodore. 
A Russian, Alexis Tchirikov, was intrusted with the command of one of 
the vessels. Three years were consumed in preparation. Behring, with 
his officers, crews and ship-builders, proceeded overland to Okhotsk, 
where he determined to build one of the vessels, in which to convey the 
men and supplies to Kamchatka, where he was to build the other. 

On July 14, 172S, everything being in readiness they set sail from 
Kamchatka River. About the 4th of August, when in latitude 64 30', 
eight Tchuktchis approached in one of their leather boats, and sent 
forward one of their number, on sealskins filled with air, to demand who 
they were, whither they were going, and what they wanted. They 
pointed out to the Russians the island which these afterward called the 
Isle of St. Lawrence, and which has since been named Clark's Island. 
Satisfying his questioners that his designs were pacific, Behring proceeded 
on his voyage and reached 67 ° iS' without obstruction, whence he 
rightly inferred that the continents were divided by water, because no 
land was visible to the north or east. He had sailed through the strait 
which was afterward called after his name. He made a second voyage 
in 1729, in the same waters, but without obtaining any additional infor- 
mation. He does not seem to have seen the coast of America on either 
voyage. 

In 1 73 1 a vessel was dispatched under Krupishev from Kamchatka 
River to co-operate with a land force for the subjugation of the Tchuk- 
tchis. A gale of wind forced the ship from the jDoint of land where 
Be firing's voyage had terminated; and being driven east, Krupishev 
found an island, and afterward a country of great extent. A man came 
aboard from the shore in a canoe, whom they understood to say that he 
belonged to a great country abounding in wild animals and forests. The 
Russians coasted it for two days, when another storm coming on, they 
directed their course homeward to Kamchatka. This voyage left no 
doubt of the discovery by Behring of the strait dividing the continents. 
Himself and officers received many distinctions, and several exploring 




127 



128 BEHRING REACHES THE CONTINENT. 

expeditions were projected. As before, the more important were two : 
The Western was from Archangel along the northern coast to the east- 
ward; but this and many successive attempts in the same direction failed, 
mainly because the promontory and cape called Taimur, extending to 7S 
and encompassed by an immense ice barrier, constituted an insurmount- 
able obstacle. The other, which was intrusted to Behring, was the 
continuance of his former enterprise, with the specific purpose of 
ascertaining the distance from Kamchatka to America in the same 
parallel. 

All preparations being duly made, Behring and his former lieuten- 
ant, Tchirikov, set sail in the St. Peter and St. Paul from Avatcha Bay 
in Kamchatka, June 4, 1 741 . Sixteen days later the St. Paul, under 
Captain Tchirikov, was separated from the Commodore's vessel in a 
gale, and a fog arising soon after, they entirely lost sight of each other 
for the whole season. July the 15th Tchirikov found himself near the 
mainland on the American side, in latitude 55 ° 36'. He cast anchor 
and sent out the long boat with orders to make a landing where they 
could on the rock-bound shore. Several days having elapsed without 
their return, he grew alarmed and sent his other boat in search. But 
the same fate doubtless awaited both — probably destruction by the na- 
tives. Neither was ever heard from, and Tchirikov lost seventeen men 
and both his boats. Some Americans made from the shore in their 
canoes some days later and surveyed the ship from a distance; but they 
did not dare approach her. Had they been kindly disposed they proba- 
bly would not have held aloof. It is almost certain that they had killed 
or taken captive the seventeen Russians. Tchirikov now held a council 
of his remaining officers, and it was deemed advisable to return. The 
St. Paul was headed for Kamchatka, where she arrived in safety early in 
October. Here the thoughtful Tchirikov made preparations for the 
reception of Behring and his crew, should disaster overtake them. 

Meanwhile Behring's ship had fallen in with the continent in lati- 
tude 58 ° 28', on the 18th of July. The prospect was grand, but 
gloomy. High mountain ranges, ridge beyond ridge, covered with 
snow, stretched away to the utmost limit of vision. Towering over all 



INVESTIGATIONS OF S TELLER. 129 

15,000 feet high, rose the lofty peak which George William Steller, the 
German naturalist and physician of the expedition, named Mount St. 
Elias, by which it is still known. On the 19th they anchored in a safe 
bay near the small island of Kaiak, in what is called Behring Bay, about 
latitude 59 ° 45'. The capes on either hand they named St. Elias and 
Hermogenes. 

July 20 a boat was sent ashore for fresh water, and Steller with 
difficulty obtained permission to accompany the crew with his Cossack 
attendant. On landing, Steller struck boldly into the interior, and at the 
distance of a mile he discovered the hollowed trunk of a tree, in which 
the natives had but a few hours before cooked some meat with red hot 
stones, after the manner of the Kamchadales, whence he inferred that 
they were probably of the same stock, and that the two continents must 
necessarily approach each other to the north, as the frail canoes of the 
natives were not fit to traverse a' wide expanse of water. At the dis- 
tance of another mile he found a cache or cellar, which he uncovered, 
and found full of smoked fish, and a few bundles of the inner bark of 
the larch, which in case of necessity serves as food throughout all Sibe- 
ria. There were also some arrows, carefully smoothed and dyed black, 
which were superior to those of the Kamchadales. Steller now sent 
back his servant to obtain an extension of time and a small escort to con- 
tinue his exploration. In his absence he ascended a hill and saw smoke 
rising in the distance, which satisfied him that some natives could soon 
be found. But Behring was inexorable for his return, and Steller could 
only -obey, under penalty of being left behind. In the bitterness of his 
disappointment he was excusable for giving utterance to the sarcasm 
that the Russians traveled a great way at great expense to carry a little 
American water to Asia. Steller took away samples of what he had 
found, leaving some knives, trinkets and tobacco in exchange. 

On the 2 1st, Behring, who had hitherto almost constantly kept his 
cabin through illness, appeared on deck, gave orders to weigh anchor, 
and return as directly as might be to Kamchatka. They soon found that 
the coast trended southwest, and it was with the utmost difficulty that 
they 'were able to extricate the ship from the labyrinth of islands which 



130 NATIVES FRIGHTENED AT THE TASTE OF BRANDT. 

line the peninsula of Alaska. Six weeks later, on the 3d of September, 
they had an adventure with a few natives. Seeing nine of them fishing 
on an island — probably one of the smaller outlying islands of the Aleutian 
group — they undertook to open communication with them. By signs 
each party invited the other to approach; finally three Russians, with the 
Kariak interpreter, rowed ashore, but the North-Siberian found himself 
among strangers to his language, and could render no assistance. The 
Americans, however, seemed to like their Asiatic brother, evidently rec- 
ognizing in him a nearer relationship than in his European companions. 
The leader of the aborigines was invited aboard the Russian boat, and as 
a token of confidence complied. The hospitable Russians now handed 
him a glass of brandy, the taste of which so appalled the unsophisticated 
native, that he exhibited the greatest alarm and an evident anxiety to be 
put ashore among his fellows. This was done in all haste; and the Rus- 
sians dreading the spread of the panic among his companions, rowed for 
the ship, leaving the Kariak among his new-found friends. He, how- 
ever, set up such a lamentation and made such piteous signs not to be 
abandoned, that the Russians concluded to have recourse to a stratagem 
for his recovery. They fired two shots in the air, which, reverberating 
from the hills, so affected the imaginations of the astonished natives, that 
they offered no hindrance to the departure of the interpreter, who, hasten- 
ing to the shore, was soon aboard the vessel. The next day the natives 
presented themselves in their canoes at the side of the vessel, bearing the 
olive branch of peace, that is, a rod ornamented with feathers, and heart- 
ily cheered the departing strangers, who had already weighed anchor, 
and were being rapidly borne away on the freshening breeze. 

Toward the close of September, they encountered one of those fierce 
storms, exceptional even in northern latitudes, lasting seventeen days, 
and surpassing in violence anything their pilot had ever seen. He had 
been at sea, boy and man, for fifty years, and of all the storms he had 
witnessed, this was- the worst; and very severe it proved to Behring and 
his crew. They were driven south to about the latitude of the northern 
line of what is now the United States, exclusive of Alaska. They dis- 
cussed among themselves whether to seek refuge on the American coast, 



THE CREW BECOME DESPERATE. 181 

or attempt to return to Kamchatka. The latter course was determined on. 
Meanwhile scurvy had broken out among the men, too long confined to 
the use of salt provisions, and exposed to the excessive severity of the 
weather. Almost every day they lost one of the crew by disease; and 
hardly enough were left in health to manage the vessel. Behring 
himself had been for some time so ill as to take no active part 
in the management of the vessel. The helmsman was so sick 
that he required to be supported to his post; and when no longer 
able to steer he was relieved by one nearly as weak as himself. 
So that during the month of October, the vessel was driven along almost 
entirely at the mercy of the wind. The men lost courage and gave them- 
selves up to despair. The nights grew longer, but the more imminent 
became their danger, the more helpless and hopeless became the crew. 
When requested to do their duty, they were scarcely able to undertake it, 
and could hardly keep their legs. They pronounced it impossible to 
save the ship or themselves ; and severity of discipline was of no avail, for 
they preferred even death to the sufferings they endured. The officers 
of the ship whom the .necessities of perpetual oversight had kept bus}' 
and active, escaped disease, and were now the only hope of salvation* 
They urged the less despairing of the crew to furnish such assistance as 
they could, and thus kept the ship still to the west toward Kamchatka. 

Finally on the fourth of November, in about latitude 55°, at eight 
o'clock in the morning, land hove in sight, but at a considerable distance, 
for they could only see the snow-clad mountains. They steered for the 
inhospitable shore all day, and at night held back to avoid being wrecked. 
On the morning of the fifth, a great wave threw the ship over a reef and 
landed her, disabled, in smooth water, after they had lost two anchors in 
attempting to save her from running on the rocks. They now put out 
their third anchor, and the shattered ship rode at ease in the sheltered 
cove. 

A few of those who were most able, went ashore under the command 
of Waxall, on whom the direction of the ship and crew had devolved, 
on Behring becoming entirely disabled. They found the country barren 
and covered with snow; but had the good fortune to discover a stream 



132 SEA OTTERS CAPTURED. 

of excellent water. House, hut, or shelter of any kind, could not be 
found, except sand holes, over which they spread some sails to make them 
habitable for the sick. On the eighth some were landed, and on the 
next day Behring was taken ashore and provided for with special care 
in one of the excavated sand holes. Six days later all were provided for 
on land as well as circumstances would permit. The interior of the land 
swarmed with blue and white foxes, which were so bold as to convince the 
Russians that they had fallen on an uninhabited region. Sea otters were 
also seen, which proved they were not on the coast of Kamchatka, from 
which these animals had disappeared. Killing some of these they found 
the flesh tough and unpalatable, but Steller, the physician, urged its con- 
sumption, however unpleasant, as an antidote to the scurvy; and nearly 
all the crew, except those who were sick on landing, were saved from 
disease by his persistence, " On all sides," says Steller, describing the 
experiences after landing, " nothing was to be seen but misery. Before 
the dead could be buried, they were mangled by the foxes, who even 
ventured to approach the helpless invalids who were lying without cover 
on the beach. Some of these wretched sufferers complained bitterly of 
the cold, others of hunger and thirst — for many had their gums so 
swollen and ulcerated with the scurvy as to be unable to eat. 

" On November the 13th, I went out hunting for the first time with 
Messieurs Plenisner and Betge; we killed four sea otters, and did not 
return before night. We ate their flesh thankfully, and prayed to God 
that he might continue to provide us with this excellent food. The costly 
skins, on the other hand, were of no value in our eyes; the only objects 
which we now esteemed were knives, needles, thread, ropes, etc., on 
which before we had not bestowed a thought. We all saw that rank, 
science, and other social distinctions were of no avail, and could not in 
any way contribute to our preservation; we therefore resolved, before 
we were forced to do so by necessity, to set to work at once. We in- 
troduced among us five a community of goods, and regulated our house- 
keeping in such a manner as not to be in want before the winter was 
over. Our three Cossacks were obliged to obey orders, when we had 
decided upon something in common; but we began to treat them with 



A STRANDED WHALE. 133 

greater politeness, calling- them by their names and surnames, and we 
soon found that Peter Maximovitch served us with more alacrity than 
formerly Petrucha [Peterkin], 

"November the 14th the whole ship's company «was formed into 
three parties. The one had to convey the sick and provisions from the 
ship; the second brought wood; the third, consisting of a lame sailor 
and myself, remained at home — the former busy making a sledge, while 
I acted as cook. As our party was the first to organize a household, I 
also performed the duty of bringing warm soup to some of our sick, 
until they had so far recovered as to be able to help themselves. The 
barracks being this day ready to receive the sick, many of them were 
transported under roof; but for want of room, they lay everywhere on 
the ground, covered with rags and clothes. No one could assist the 
other, and nothing was heard but lamentations and curses — the whole 
affording so wretched a sight, as to make even the strongest heart lose 
courage. 

"On November 15th all the sick were at length landed., We took 
one of them named Baris Sand into our hut, and by God's help he re- 
covered within three months. The following days added to our misery, 
as the messengers we had sent out brought us the intelligence that we 
were on a desert island, without any communication with Kamchatka. 
We were also in constant fear that the stormy weather might drive our 
ship out to sea, and along with it all our provisions, and every hope of 
ever returning to our homes. Sometimes it was impossible to get to the 
vessel for several days together, so boisterous was the surge; and about 
ten or twelve men, who had hitherto been able to work, now also fell 
ill. Want, nakedness, frost, rain, illness, impatience, and despair, were 
our daily companions." 

Among the provisions on which they had to rely in emergencies 
was a dead whale thrown on the coast of the island in a storm. This 
with grim jocularity they called their magazine. Behring died on the 
9th of December, exactly four weeks after being landed. It might 
almost be said that he was buried alive. In the sandpit in which he was 
housed the loose sand had gradually piled up around him until he was 



DEATH OF B EH RING. 135 

more than half covered. He would not allow it to be removed, but kept 
gathering it up, under the conviction that it helped to keep him warm 
and prolong life. When he died it became necessary to unearth him 
before he could be decently buried. He was respectfully interred on the 
island and in sight of the sea, which were thenceforth to bear his name. 
He was only in his sixty-second year, and might have survived the ship- 
wreck had he not been enfeebled by disease arising from exposure and 
the want of fresh provisions. He had been thirty-six years in the Rus- 
sian navy, which he entered in 1705. In 1707 he had been made lieu- 
tenant, and in 1710 captain. His last expedition failed of satisfactory re- 
sults, no doubt through his long continued illness. Beyond his prime man 
lacks that vital power which enables him to withstand the hardships of 
such adventures. Three weeks later the St. Peter was wrecked in sight 
of the survivors. Her cable gave way in a violent storm, and she was 
driven on the rocks. There was no longer any hope of using her on the 
voyage to Kamchatka in the spring, and to add to their misfortune a con- 
siderable part of their provisions were spoiled by the sea water. 

In March, 1742, the sea otters disappeared from those waters. They 
had killed 900 of them and saved the skins. Of these about 300 eventu- 
ally came into the possession of Steller, by barter and through the gener- 
osity of the sick, who felt deeply indebted to him for his services so dis- 
interestedly rendered in their hour of need. Thirty of the crew died on 
the island; but nearly all had been sick before landing. Forty-five 
survived. Seals, sea lions and sea horses now took the place of sea otters 
on the coast of Behring's Island, and their flesh was much more palata- 
ble. A walrus weighing Soo pounds was found sufficient for a fort- 
night's consumption. The flesh resembles beef, and that of the young is 
as tender as veal. The health of the men now improved rapidly, and 
their great concern was to grow strong enough for the work of deliver- 
ance which they were to undertake in the summer. 

Waxall now began to turn their attention to the task of getting 
ready. This he did with commendable discretion. A virtual democracy 
had sprung from their necessities, and one had as good right to his opin- 
ion as another. Their projects for escape were of course various, but they 



136 RETURN TO KAMTKCHATKA. 

were gradually induced to concur in Waxall's design of breaking up the 
old ship and constructing a new but smaller one from her timbers, suffi- 
ciently large to convey all the survivors and the necessary provisions to 
Kamchatka. 

The month of April was consumed in preparations; and on the 
sixth of May they began to build the new boat or ship. By the first of 
June the timbers were ready for the planks. She was forty by thir- 
teen feet; had but one mast, and one deck. 

" On the 14th, in the morning," says Steller, " we weighed 
anchor, and steered out of the bay. The weather being beautiful, 
and the wind favorable, we were all in good spirits, and as we 
sailed along the island, we pointed out to each other the well- 
known mountains and valleys which we had frequently visited in 
quest of game, or for the purpose of reconnoitering. Toward evening 
we were opposite the furthest point of the island, and on the 
15th, the wind continuing favorable, we steered direct toward the 
bay of Avatcha. About midnight, however, we perceived to our great 
dismay, that the vessel began to fill with water from an unknown leak, 
which in consequence of the crowded and overloaded state of the vessel, 
it was extremely difficult to find out. At length, after the lighten- 
ing of the ship, the carpenter succeeded in stopping the leak, and thus 
we were once more saved from imminent danger." 

On the 25th they sighted the longed-for Kamchatka, entered the Bay 
of Avatcha on the 26th, and anchored in the harbor of Petropaulovsky 
on the 27th, where they found that provision had been kindly made for 
their anticipated wants through the forethought of Capt. Tchirikov. 

Russian expeditions to Arctic seas now fell into the hands of merchants 
and adventurers; and were prosecuted from Archangel as whaling voy- 
ages, and in the east, from Petropaulovsky and Okhotsk, as ventures in 
the fur-trade, in which they built up a profitable commerce with China 
and Japan. 



CHAPTER XV. 

SWAINE STARTS FROM PHILADELPHIA EXPLORATION OF LABRADOR 

— -ARCTIC EXPLORATION BY HEARNE INSTRUMENTS DESTROYED 

BY WIND MALTREATMENT OF ESQUIMAUX ARCTIC VOYAGE OF 

PHIPPS — REACHES SPITZBERGEN. 

In the spring of 1 754 Capt. Charles Svvaine left the port of Phila- 
delphia, in Pennsylvania, to search for the Northwest Passage. He was 
in command of the schooner Argo ; and first encountered ice off Cape 
Farewell in June. Leaving the eastern ice he again fell in with the 
western ice in latitude 5S , and cruised to the northward to 63 ° , to clear 
it, but could not; it then extended to the eastward. Returning south- 
ward he met two Danish vessels hound to Ball River and Disco Island, 
up Davis' Strait, which had been in the ice fourteen days off Cape Fare- 
well, and had then stood to the westward. They assured Swaine that 
the ice was fast to the shore all above Hudson's Strait to the distance of 
forty leagues out, and that there had not been such a severe winter as the 
last, these twenty-four years that they had been engaged in that trade. 
They were then nine weeks from Copenhagen. The Argo, finding she 
could not get around the ice,» pressed through it and got to the mouth of 
Hudson's Strait on the 26th of June. She reached Resolution Island, 
but was forced back by vast quantities of driving ice, and got into clear 
sea on July 1st. Cruising along the border of the ice, seeking an open- 
ing to get through it, she met on the 14th four vessels of Hudson Bay 
endeavoring to get in, and continued with them till the 19th, when they 
parted in thick weather, in latitude 62 ° 30'. The thick weather lasted 
till August 7. The Hudson's Bay men before they were separated 
from the Argo computed the distance to the western coast of Hudson's 
Bay at forty leagues. 

The Argo ran down the ice from about 63 ° to 57 ° 30', and 

137 



138 SEARCH FOR NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 

after repeated attempts to enter the Straits relinquished the vain 
endeavor, the more as the season for making discovery on the west- 
ern side of the bay would be over before they could hope to reach it. 
Swaine now directed his vessel to the coast of Labrador, and explored it 
perfectly to latitude 54 ° . He found no less than six inlets, all of which 
he thoroughly explored, making an excellent chart of the coast, and as- 
certaining all he could of the soil, produce, and people of Labrador. He 
thought it much like Norway, and satisfied himself there was no water- 
way across it to Hudson's Bay. It had been conjectured that such a 
route could be found, but Swaine' s careful survey settled that point. He 
found there was a high mountain range which traversed the land from 
north to south, about fifty leagues inland. In one of these harbors they 
found a deserted wooden house with a brick chimney which they judged 
had been built by Englishmen, as appeared evident from sundry relics 
left behind. Afterward in another of the inlets they met Captain Goff in 
a bark or snow — so called from the Low-German snau, or snout — from 
London. He informed them that the same vessel had been there in 
1753, and had landed some Moravian brethren who had built the house, 
intending to remain there. But the captain and six of his men had been 
artfully coaxed away by the natives under pretence of traffic, to some dis- 
tance in their boat, and unarmed. After waiting their return for sixteen 
days in vain, the remainder concluded to sail for England, accompanied 
by the Moravians, who were necessary to work the vessel, and were dis- 
couraged in their benevolent undertaking by the unexpected treachery of 
the natives. Part of Goff's business on this voyage, he said, was to learn 
what he could of the fate of these men. As a pleasant addition to 
Swaine' s good fortune, who seems not to have lost a man or anv part of 
his ship's equipment, he discovered a fine fishing-bank about twenty 
miles offshore and stretching 57 ° to 54 ° . Vessel and crew arrived in 
safety at Philadelphia about the middle of November. 

In 1 77 3 *- ne brig Diligence was dispatched by a company of private 
gentlemen of Virginia to search for the Northwest Passage. She 'was 
placed in charge of Captain Wilder, who followed the route of Swaine, 
but succeeded in entering Hudson's Bay, the season being more favora- 



EXPEDITION OF HEARNE. 139 

ble. The Diligence plied about the broad expanse of the great bay, es- 
pecially to the north and west, which were now the accredited points of 
search for the Northwest Passage. They were finally driven back by 
the ice, and retreated through Hudson's Strait to Davis' Strait, which they 
ascended to the latitude of Disco Island in 69 ° 11 ', whence they returned 
to Virginia. 

ARCTIC EXPLORATION BY HEARNE. 

Samuel Hearne had entered the English navy as a midshipman in 
Captain Hood's vessel, at the age of eleven. At the close of the French 
war in 1763, he took service under the Hudson's Bay Company as 
quartermaster, at Fort Churchill. In 1768 he evinced special ability in 
his exploration of the northern coast of Hudson's Bay, and the improve- 
ment of the fisheries in that quarter. The same year the Indian story 
of copper mines to the north, which had lured Knight to destruction in 
1 7 19, and which had been repeated to Captain Scroggs in 1722, was put 
beyond all question by some rich specimens of ore brought by Indian 
traders to Fort Churchill. Hearne was now sent out with a twofold 
commission, to search for the Northwest Passage and the mines of cop- 
per. He left Fort Churchill November 6, 1769, accompanied by two 
white men and some Indians. When he had proceeded about two 
hundred miles his provisions began to fail, and the native guides deserted 
him, when he was obliged to return. In the beginning of February, 
1770, being again ready to start, he resumed his journey, taking with 
him no white men and only five Indians. He had found that the natives 
ridiculed his two white companions because of their inability to endure 
the hardships of the trip as well as they could. Some white men have 
been known to pride themselves on similar qualifications. When they 
had gone about five hundred miles they began to suffer great distress 
from exposure to the severity of the weather, and the scarcity of 
provisions. 

" It was," says Hearne, "either all feasting or all famine; some- 
times we had too much; seldom just enough; frequently too little; and 
often none at all. It would be only necessary to say that we have fasted, 



140 FIGHT BETWEEN ESQUIMAUX AND INDIANS. 

many times, two whole days and nights; twice, upward of three days, 
and once, near seven days, during which we tasted not a mouthful of any- 
thing, except a few cranberries, water, scraps of old leather, and burnt 
bones." Finally, in August, he arrived among a tribe of friendly In- 
dians, in latitude 63 10' and longitude io°4o' west from Fort Churchill, 
where he proposed to winter. One day a gust of wind upset his quad- 
rant, breaking it to pieces, and the brave explorer picked up his effects 
and started back to the English settlement, notwithstanding all the priva- 
tion he had undergone on the way out. Equipped once more at Fort 
Churchill, he set out on the 7th of December, accompanied among the 
rest by an intelligent Indian named Motaunabi. They proceeded this 
time in a less northerly direction, and in latitude 6o°. After having trav- 
eled about 600 miles, they came to a lake; here they built a canoe, and 
pushed northward, by a chain of lakes and streams, until, on the 13th of 
July, 1 77 1, they struck the Coppermine River, which he descended to 
its mouth in the Arctic Ocean, or rather in Coronation Gulf, one of its 
inlets, in latitude 68° 30'. Meanwhile, Hearne's band of Indians had 
been increased by the accession of some tramps of the forest, friendly to 
each other, but all hostile to the Esquimaux. Seeing a small encampment 
of their detested enemies on the bank of the great river, they attacked 
them, on the 17th of July. " Finding all the Esquimaux quiet in their 
tents," says Hearne, " they rushed forth from their ambuscade, and fell 
on the poor, unsuspecting creatures, unperceived till close to the eaves of 
their tents, when they soon began the bloody massacre, while I stood 
neuter in the rear." They spared neither age nor sex, and of the twenty 
or more inmates of the hut, but few escaped. An old woman whom 
they found peacefully fishing was tortured by having her eyes plucked 
out before she received her death blow. A young girl sought the pro- 
tection of Hearne, which he "was powei'less to give ; and the miscreants, 
soon after their horrid work of slaughter, "sat down," says Hearne, "and 
made a good meal of fresh salmon," the fruits, perhaps, of the old 
woman's industry. The " Arctic Ocean," as described by Hearne, was 
full of islands and shoals, as far as he could discern with a good telescope. 
On the 30th of June, 1 77 2 » after an absence of one year and seven 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE ENGLISH NAVY. 141 

months, lacking one week, Hearne arrived in safety at Fort Churchill, of 
which he was made governor, in 1775. On its capture by a French 
squadron, under Perouse, in 1783, he returned to England, where he 
died ten years later, in his forty-eighth year. His " Voyage to the Cop- 
permine River," was published in 1795. 

ARCTIC VOYAGE OF PH1PPS. 

Since the loss of Knight in 17 19, there had been by common con- 
sent a virtual abandonment of voyages of exploration in the Northwest. 
At intervals some slight revival of interest arose, but only to be damp- 
ened by repeated failures. In 1 742 Captain Middleton discovered Wa- 
ger " River " or Bay, opening westward from Rowe's Welcome, and 
for a time he must have fancied he had made the great discovery, but it 
was soon found to be a land-locked inlet into an uninhabited wilderness. 
A few years later, in 1746, Moore and Smith, after a fruitless search in 
the same direction, pronounced the quest of " a Northwest Passage as 
chimerical as Don Quixote's projects." But now the successes of 
Captain Cook and the growing power of England gave a fresh 
impetus to voyages of discovery on a scale commensurate with her 
greatness. It has not escaped the notice of our reader how insig- 
nificant and paltry were the outfits of the early English navigators. 
He has also doubtless divined the reason. While under more arbitrary 
governments such enterprises were usually controlled by the state, and 
inaugurated with the eclat and fullness of equipment which are wont to 
characterize government ventures, in England they were almost entirely 
in the hands of private merchants. Occasionally the use of one of the 
King's ships was obtained, but even then the equipment was supplied by 
private persons. This was in accordance with the genius of free institu- 
tions and constitutional liberty; and the Englishman felt more pride in 
the growth of freedom than in big ships. The necessities of war had 
just brought the crown a navy worthy of the name, and the succeeding 
epoch of peace left it at fhe disposal of the ministers for the furtherance 
of the pursuits of science and commerce. The British government, full 
of anticipation of the glory to be achieved among the nations of the earth 



142 V OT AGE OF PHIPPS. 

by the discovery of the Northwest Passage, the dream of her merchants 
for nearly three centuries, proceeded first to dispatch an expedition due 
north to investigate the possibilities of that route. 

On the 25th of May, 1773, Captain Constantine John Phipps, who 
was raised to the peerage as Lord Mulgrave in 17S4, received formal 
instructions for a voyage to the North Pole, or as far toward it as possi- 
ble. He was to prosecute the voyage as nearly as ice and other obsta- 
cles would permit, on a meridian. His observations were to be such as 
might prove useful to navigation, and promote science. Should he reach 
the Pole and find open sea beyond he was not to suffer himself to go on, 
but was to get back to the Nare before winter. A discretionary clause was 
added, empowering him to follow his best judgment in such unforeseen 
circumstances as might arise. He was to command the Racehorse, and 
to her was joined the Carcass under Capt. Lutwidge, who was sub- 
ject to his orders, with the proviso that should evil befall the Racehorse 
he was to assume command of the Carcass. 

They got fairly under way on June 4, and anchored in a small bay 
between M agdalena and Hamburgher Bays, off Spitzbergen, on July 4. 
On the 9th they were as high as 8o° 36', and were caught in the 
ice on the 31st. They forced their way southward through the ice, 
reaching Seven Islands' Bay, on the northwest coast of Spitzbergen, 
Aug. 6, and the Nare on Sept. 24. In 1774 Captain Phipps published a 
detailed account of this Arctic expedition under the title of a "Journal 
of a Voyage Toward the North Pole." 




CHAPTER XVI. 



r^'( 



COOKS ENTERPRISE FOR DISCOVERING NORTHWEST PASSAGE LEAVES 

PLYMOUTH EXTENSIVE BARTER WITH NATIVES ARRIVE AT 

SANDWICH ISLANDS OUTRAGES OF THE HAWAIIANS CAPT. 

COOK MURDERED APPROVAL OB" COOK BY ROYAL SOCIETY — 

CAPT. CLERKE TAKES CHARGE OF THE EXPEDITION- — MARKET 
FURS IN CANTON. 

Phipps' failure due north did not extinguish the hope of finding a 
route from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the northwest. The famous 
Captain Cook had won fresh laurels as a navigator in 1773, and had 
been awarded the Copley medal for his success in preserving the health 
of his men during his voyage around the world. His courage, sagacity 
and experience pointed him out as the man for the contemplated search 
voyage ; and having volunteered his services he was gladty appointed to 
the command. His instructions were to proceed to the North Pacific, to 
commence his search on the northwest coast of America in latitude 65 ° , 
and to waste no time in instituting researches in lower latitudes. The 
Resolution and Discovery were speedily fitted out, and the latter placed 
under the subordinate command of Captain Edward Clerke. Bayley 
and Anderson, companions of his former voyage, accompanied Cook as 
astronomer and naturalist. 

July 12, 1776, Captain Cook left Plymouth, England, and was 
joined by Captain Clerke in Table Bay, near the Cape of Good Hope, 
some weeks later. It was the last day of November before they left the 
Cape, whence they proceeded eastward through the Indian Ocean, pass- 
ing Prince Edward's Island December 12, and reaching Kerguelen 
Land on the 24th. Here Cook rectified the mistake of the discoverer 
Kerguelen by ascertaining it to be an island, not a continent, and charac- 
terized it as the Island of Desolation. For three hundred leagues east of 

143 



144 COOK DISCOVERS SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Kerguelen they were so beset by fog that it was necessary to fire signal 
guns to avoid getting separated in the dark. They arrived at Adventure 
Bay on the south coast of Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, on the 
26th of January, 1777, and in Queen Charlotte's Sound, New Zealand, on 
the 1 2th of February. On the 25th they proceeded northward, reaching 
Mangaia and Atioo, two of the Cook Islands or Hervey Archipelago, on 
the 29th of March. The season was now considered too far advanced 
to venture into unknown seas with the prospect of achieving anything 
important, and Captain Cook decided on further exploration in the 
tropics, postponing his northward trip until the following year. They 
spent nearly three months in peaceable intercourse with the natives of 
the Tonga and Feejee groups, to which Cook gave the collective name 
of Friendly Islands. On the 12th of August they arrived at Tahiti or 
Otaheite, one of the Society Islands, to the southeast of the Friendly 
Islands. On the 8th of December they again directed their course to the 
northward from Bolabola, the most northern of the Society group; and 
on the 18th of January, 177S, they discovered the islands of the Hawaiian 
Archipelago. Cook named these the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the 
first lord of the British admiralty, John Montague, Earl of Sandwich, the 
chief promoter of the voyage in which he was now engaged. 

After a stay of several weeks Cook now directed his course for the 
mainland of America, reaching the New Albion of Drake, in latitude 44 ° 
33', on March 7. Coasting north, they arrived at Nootka Sound in lati- 
tude 49 35' . The inhabitants were found clad in furs, which they offered 
for sale, and were civil to the strangers. They evinced an almost Eng- 
lish appreciation of the rights of property, expecting pay for everything 
that was taken, even the wood and water necessary for the ships. They 
were acquainted with iron, but preferred brass, whence it came to pass 
that the sailors bartered all their buttons for furs. In latitude 59 ° the 
natives were found to resemble the Esquimaux of Hudson's Bay in lan- 
guage as well as in physical appearance; and were not so grasping in 
their dealings. In what has since been named Cook's Inlet they thought 
to have found a passage to the Northern Ocean, but found it penetrated 
only about 200 miles. Cook then sailed westward, and on the 9th of 



COOK SURVEYS HAWAII. 145 

August made the extreme northwestern point of America, to which 
he gave the name of Cape Prince of Wales, distant from the northeast- 
ern point of Asia, at Cape East, only thirteen leagues, as ascertained by 
him. They landed among the Tchuktchi, but did not tarry long, as they 
were anxious to push to the north before the close of the season. 

On the 1 8th of August, in latitude 70 44', they came abreast of the 
ice, which they found six feet high on the edge, and extending as far as the 
eye could reach, an impenetrable mass, covered with walruses. Of these 
the sailors killed a considerable number, glad to exchange the monotony 
of salt provisions for the fresh but coarse flesh of these animals. Cook 
now concluded to turn from the impracticable Northern Ocean and turn 
his attention for a season to the further exploration of the Sandwich 
Islands. On the 26th of November they arrived at Mowee or Maui, an 
island of that group, which they had not before visited, in latitude 20 50', 
and on the 30th the large island of Owhyhee or Hawaii, which Cook 
spent seven weeks in circumnavigating and surveying. They finally 
anchored in Kealakeakua Bay, about the middle of January, 1779, and 
were visited by crowds of natives. The relations of visitors and visited, 
of civilized English and semi-barbarous Hawaiian, were mutually pleasant; 
nothing occurred to mar the harmony of their intercourse; and the 
opinions formed by each party of the other grew daily more favorable, 
as weeks of acquaintance passed into months, and the English still lin- 
gered on their hospitable shores. Captain Cook very justly felt that the 
failure to penetrate the Northern Ocean was more than compensated for 
by the discovery of these islands. " To this disappointment," says he, 
"we owed our having it in our power to visit the Sandwich Islands, and 
to enrich our voyage with a discovery, which, though the last, seemed in 
many respects to be the most important that had hitherto been made by 
Europeans throughout the extent of the Pacific Ocean." 

Provisions were procured in abundance for the " floating islands," as 
the Hawaiians called them ; and Cook was quite successful in salting a 
quantity of pork for sea stores. Finally he prepared to sail around the 
islands to make an accurate survey of the whole group, and weighed 
anchor on the 4th of September. But a storm arose soon after, which 
10 



1IC MURDER OF COOK. 

seriously sprung the mainmast of the Resolution, and they re-entered the 
harbor for necessary repairs. In the short interval that had elapsed, the 
better disposed of the native population, with most of their leaders or 
chiefs, had withdrawn into the interior. The crews now came in con- 
tact with the more thievish and unprincipled of the Hawaiians, and quar- 
rels became almost incessant. A serious feud arose through the theft ot 
a pair of tongs from the forge of the ship's smith by an unprincipled na- 
tive. The English sent in pursuit of the thief were roughly handled by 
a mob, and on the heels of this redoubled outrage followed the theft of 
one of the ship's boats. Captain Cook hereupon determined to seize the 
king, Tereeoboo, and hold him as a hostage for the good behavior of his 
people, and the return of the stolen property. 

On the 14th of February, 1779, he landed with a body of armed ma- 
rines to carry out this resolution. The king offered no resistance, but with 
his two sons peacefully accompanied the English to the shore, when the 
excited natives gathered in crowds and prevented the embarkation. An 
accident precipitated the impending conflict. One of the armed English- 
men at the other end of the bay fired a gun to stop a native canoe that 
was about to quit the shore. Unfortunately, through misdirection of aim 
or oscillation of the canoe, the shot that was intended to pass overhead, 
killed a chief named Kareemoo. The natives, taking this for a gage 
of battle, prepared for war, brandished their knives, and put on their war 
mats. Captain Cook restrained his men, and they held back their fire 
till it was too late. Threatened by a native, Cook himself fired his mus- 
ket loaded with small shot, which only rendered his assailant more furi- 
ous. The marines and the crew now fired on the mob, but these were 
so closely packed at the water's edge that they crowded each other on 
toward their assailants, and in the melee four of the English were 
killed. The jam became so great that firearms were of but little use, 
and Cook was at the mercy of his enemies. He was seen to make an 
effort to reach the boat, with one of the natives in close pursuit, who, 
dealing him a stunning blow on the head with a club, precipitately re- 
treated. Cook fell on one knee and dropped his musket, and as he was 
rising, another native stabbed him in the back of the neck with a dagger. 



EULOGY ON COOK. 147 

He then fell into the water, when others crowded upon him to keep him 
down. He was within twenty feet of the boat, but the mass of his 
assailants was so dense, and the crew so confused and panic-stricken, 
that he could not be rescued. He struggled bravely with his foes and 
got his head above water, when they again pounced upon him with 
greater violence, pushing him into deeper water. Again he forced his 
■way to the surface, but only to be struck down with a club, which ter- 
minated the struggle. They then hauled his lifeless remains ashore and 
vied with each other in inflicting unnecessary wounds upon their fallen 
victim. 

The natives were soon after dispersed, seeming to have glutted their 
revenge by the slaughter of Cook. Some time elapsed before Captain 
Clerke could obtain the mutilated remains for burial. They were com- 
mitted to the deep with the customary naval honors, and amid the sincere 
lamentations of the afflicted crews. Captain Cook was specially solici- 
tous of the welfare of his men. In 1776, when he was presented with the 
Copley medal, John Pringle, President of the Ro}'al Society, thus em- 
phasized his merit in that particular: 

" What inquiry can be so useful as that which has for its object the 
saving the lives of men? And where shall we find one more successful 
than that before us. [Cook's account of his method for preserving the 
health of his men.] Here are no vain boastings of the empiric, nor in- 
genious and delusive theories of the dogmatist; but a concise and artless, 
and an uncontested relation of the means by which, under divine favor, 
Capt. Cook, with a company of 1 iS men, performed a voyage of three years 
and eighteen days throughout all the climates from 52 ° north to 71 ° 
south latitude, with the loss of only one man by sickness. I would now 
inquire of the most conversant with the bills of mortality, whether, in the 
most healthy climate and the best condition of life, they have ever found 
so small a number of deaths within that space of time ? How great and 
agreeable, then, must our surprise be, after perusing the history of long 
navigations in former days, when so many perished by marine diseases, 
to find the air of the sea acquitted of all malignity; and, in fine, that a 
voyage round the world may be undertaken with less danger, perhaps, 



148 CLERKE ASSUMES COMMAND. 

to health, than a common tour in Europe." And it may be added that 
with all the modern appliances of preserved meats, carefully prepared 
pemmican, canned fruits, lime-juice and sundry other anti-scorbutics no 
navigator has succeeded in leaving a better record. He not only cared 
for his men, but he also knew how to elicit their confidence and esteem. 
He was kindly and considerate, but also decided and energetic, and knew 
how to rule as well as conciliate. He probably erred in attempt- 
ing to enforce the rigid rules of stern discipline against the savages of 
Hawaii, and paid the penalty -with his life. Holding races of infantile 
simplicity mixed with adult cunning to the responsibilities of civilized 
men was an error of the times, which has not even yet been quite out- 
grown. And the fame of Cook cannot be dimmed by an error of judg- 
ment. Such criticism would rob humanity of all its heroes. 

Captain Clerke now assumed command of the expedition, intrusting 
his ship, the Discovery, to the immediate command of Lieutenant Gore. 
They proceeded to the Northern Ocean, touching at Petropaulovsky, in 
Avatcha Bay, on the coast of Kamchatka, where they were received by 
the Russians with marked hospitality. Passing thence through Behring's 
Strait, they reached latitude 70 ° 33', where they encountered the ice some 
twenty miles lower than on the previous occasion. They relinquished 
all further attempt in that direction, and set sail for the homeward voy- 
age. When they again reached Kamchatka, Captain Clerke died, and 
was buried on shore. The command of the expedition then devolved 
upon Captain Gore, with Lieutenant King in charge of the second 
vessel. They arrived at Macao, at the mouth of the Canton River, in 
China, December third, when they learned of the war between 
England and her American colonies, aided by the French; and at the 
same time of the generous order of the latter government that the vessels 
of Cook's expedition should be treated as neutrals by the cruisers of 
France. 

In Canton the English seamen enjoyed an episode .that formed an 
agreeable contrast to their late experience. They found an unexpected 
market for the furs for which they had bartered knives, trinkets, and 
even their brass buttons two vears before on the northwest coast of 



JOURNET HOMEWARD 149 

America. "One of our seamen," says Lieutenant King, "sold his stock 
alone for $Soo; and a few prime skins, which were clean and had been 
well preserved, were sold for $120 each. The whole amount of the 
value, in specie and goods, that was got for the furs in both ships, I am 
confident did not fall short of £2000 sterling ; and it was generally sup- 
posed that at least two-thirds of the quantity we had originally got from 
the Americans were spoiled and worn out, or had been given away or 
otherwise disposed of in Kamchatka. When, in addition to these facts, 
it is remembered that the furs were at first collected without our having 
any idea of their real value; that the greater part had been -worn by the 
Indians from whom we had purchased them ; that they were afterward 
preserved with little care, and frequently used for bed-clothes and other 
purposes; and that probably we had not received the full value for them in 
China; the advantages that might be derived from a voyage to that part 
of the American coast, undertaken with commercial views, appeared to 
me of a degree of importance sufficient to call for the attention of the 
public." 

A few of the seamen were so deeply impressed with the same con- 
viction that they deserted the ships and were among the first Englishmen 
to engage in the Pacific fur trade. 

Leaving Canton with replenished purses they finally arrived in safety 
at the Nore on the fourth of October, 17S0, after an absence of four 
years, two months and twenty-three days. Five men had died on the 
Resolution, three of whom were sickly before leaving England; the 
Discovery had not lost a man. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

english and danish voyages frobisher pond mackenzie 

discovers Mackenzie's river — godthaab colony founded — 
scoresby makes first voyage to greenland — wm. scoresby, 

jr., begins seafaring life voyage to spitzbergen seas 

numerous remains of animal life scoresby publishes 

account of his travels necessity the mother of in- 
vention discovers cape hope inaugurates the use of 

boats and sledges. 

In 1775 Joseph Frobisher, engaged in the fur trade, reached the 
Mississippi or Churchill River, in the interior, through the region north- 
west of Lake Superior, and made a second successful trip the ensuing 
year. His brother, in 1777, reached Lac de la Croix, now Lacrosse 
Lake, at the head waters of the Churchill; and in 177S, a Mr. Pond 
following in their footsteps, and proceeding farther north, had discovered 
Lake Athabasca. 

From Fort Chippewyan at the west end of Lake Athabasca, Alex- 
ander Mackenzie set out on the third of June, 17S9, attended by a party of 
Canadians and some Indians, to discover another great river to the north- 
west, of which he had heard from the natives. One of the Indians had 
been in the service of Hearne eight or ten years before. Having found 
the river, he proceeded to descend it to its mouth. On the 12th of July 
they entered what they took to be a lake, from the shallowness of the 
water, though they saw no land ahead. " At a few leagues from the 
mouth of the river, my people," says Mackenzie, "could not, at this time, 
refrain from expressions of real concern that they were obliged to return 
without reaching the sea." But noticing a rise of eighteen inches in the 
water, they concluded they had reached the ocean, as it could only be as- 
cribed to the tide. This opinion was confirmed by the appearance of 

150 



GODTHAAB FOUNDED. 151 

several whales sporting on the ice. He ascertained the latitude to be 
69 ° 14' , and named the island on which they had camped Whale Island. 
The river has been called by his name, and its mouth is now determined 
to be in latitude 6S ° 50', an error of 24', which, considering the imper- 
fection of his instruments, must be regarded as a very creditable approxi- 
mation. With this discovery and that of the great interior chain of lakes 
and rivers with which the Mackenzie connects, the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany's territory east of the Rocky Mountains may be said to have been 
outlined, and the Arctic Ocean proper reached for the first time by land 
on the American coast. In 1792 Mr. Mackenzie ascended the Peace 
River, crossed the Rocky Mountains and descended the Simpson River 
in 1793, reaching the Pacific Ocean just south of the Prince of Wales 
Islands, where he registered his name on the face of a rock — " Alexander 
Mackenzie, from Canada by land, the 22d of July, 1793 " — whence he 
returned by the same route, arriving at Fort Chippewyan on Lake Atha- 
basca, on the 24th of August. 

DANISH VOYAGES TO GREENLAND. 

Besides the voyages previously mentioned — of the Norsemen toward 
the close of the tenth century, and those under the auspices of Christian 
IV. in the early part of the seventeenth — there were a few noteworthy 
Danish expeditions to Greenland in more recent times. That of Hans 
Egede, in 1721, though mainly inspired with the hope of finding traces 
of the lost Norse colonies, and his missionary zeal, is of interest, as it led 
to the establishment of the first modern European settlement on the coast 
of Greenland. By the sacrifice of his personal fortune and with the aid 
of a few friends, Egede succeeded in forming the Greenland Company 
with a cash capital of $9,000; and an annual endowment of $300 from 
the missionary fund, to which were added $200 by King Ferdinand IV., 
who, however, died nine years later. Egede left Bergen May 12, and 
arrived on the western coast of Greenland in Davis' Strait, latitude 64 ° , 
on July 3, and founded the settlement of Godthaab with forty Danish 
colonists. On the death of his royal patrons, the Danish government, 
disappointed in its anticipations of a lucrative trade with the natives and 



V>2 CLA VERING-GRAAH. 

the failure to find any trace of the old colonists, not only withdrew its 
paltry endowment, hut ordered the colony to be broken up. 

In 1733, through the zeal of the celebrated Count Zinzendorf, King 
Christian VI. was induced to countermand the order for the extinc- 
tion of the Godthaab Colony. Not confining himself to this act of jus- 
tice, he endowed the mission with an annuity of $2,000, and intrusted it 
to the care of three Moravian brethren, members of the religious com- 
munity founded by Zinzendorf. With his mission thus strengthened 
and its permanence assured, Egede returned to Denmark in 1 735' wnere 
he died in 1758, at the age of seventy-two. He had been able to find 
ruins of churches and other buildings here and there along the coast, but 
no trace of survivors of the old Norse settlements, nor any tradition 
among the Esquimaux that they had ever existed. Fifty years after his 
return an expedition was sent out in 1 7S6, under command of Capt. 
Lowenorn, to search for them on the east coast. But neither he, nor the 
Scoresbys, in their many voyages to those coasts from 1 791 to 1822, nor 
Clavering in 1823, were ever able to discover any traces of European 
settlements in Greenland. The explorations of the Scoresbys and Clav- 
erings were, however, too far to the north, but there yet remained to be 
examined the southeastern coast, north of Cape Farewell. This was 
undertaken in 1828, under the auspices of King Frederick VI. who 
commissioned Capt. Graah to make a careful inspection of that coast. 
Proceeding from the most southern point, in 1829, he made frequent 
landings as high as 65 ° 18'. It was deemed useless to prosecute the 
search farther, as it was believed no colony could have existed farther 
north. The result of his careful investigations was the conclusion that no 
Norse settlements had ever been founded on that coast. Not a trace of 
church or other building, not the faintest tradition among the natives, not 
a word in their language, not a tool or implement in their hands, could 
be found to furnish the slightest suspicion that the country had ever had 
any European inhabitants. It was inferred that the "east bygd" (or 
bight) of the old chroniclers was therefore not the east coast of Green- 
land, but only the most eastern portion of that part which was known to 
them. The " east bygd " was probably identical with the extensive dis- 



EARLT LIFE OF SCORESBY. 153 

trict now known by the name of the station or settlement of Julianshaab; 
and the "west by gd," with Fiskernaes, to the northwest. 

VOYAGES OF THE SCORESBYS. 

Capt. William Scoresby, the elder, made his first voyage to Green- 
land in 1 79 1, and made thirty distinct voyages to Arctic Seas, but they 
were all of a commercial character; and only incidentally of geograph- 
ical or scientific value. In 1806 he reached as high as 8i° 12' in Green- 
land Sea, a higher latitude than had been reached by any preceding nav- 
igator, where he saw "a great openness or sea of water." Being engaged 
in a whaling voyage only, he did not feel at liberty to go forward to the 
north, thus losing an exceptional opportunity perhaps of reaching the 
Pole. Again, in 1S17, deviating from the usual northern route of the 
whalers, he steered west through the ice to the coast of Greenland, 
which he reached some minutes north of 70 . Here he could easily 
have landed, but his business being whale-catching, not exploration, he 
sailed back again into the open sea to secure a cargo. In one of his 
whaling ventures he is said to have taken the large number of thirty-six 
whales. His name was given to Scoresby Sound, where he landed on 
one of his later voyages. He made some improvements in the details of 
whaling; and is credited with the invention of the form of observatory 
known as "the round top-gallant crow's-nest," used as a lookout station. 
He died in 1S29, in his seventieth year. 

Capt. William Scoresby, the younger son of the preceding, was born 
in 179°? an d began a seafaring life when in his eleventh year. In his 
seventeenth, he was first mate to his father in the famous voyage of 
1806, to which we have already referred. Before he was quite twenty- 
one, he was in command of the whaler Resolution. In one of his voy- 
ages to Spitzbergen seas, he landed near Cape Mitre, and ascended a 
mountain 3,000 feet high. At a certain point of this laborious ascent the 
ridge was so narrow and the sides so precipitous that he could advance 
with safety only by straddling it and working forward with his hands 
and legs. It cost him several hours of hard work to reach the summit, 
and very often a single false step would have precipitated him to his 



154 NUMEROUS REMAINS OF ANIMAL LIFE. 

death in the abyss beneath. But he was delighted with the result of his 
achievement. 

" The prospect," says he, "was most extensive and grand. A fine 
sheltered bay was seen to the east of us; an arm of the sea on the north- 
east; and the sea, whose glassy surface was unruffled by a breeze, 
formed an immense expanse on the west. The icebergs, rearing their 
proud crests almost to the tops of the mountains between which they 
were lodged, and defying the power of the solar beams, were scattered in 
various directions about the sea-coast and in the adjoining bays. Beds 
of snow and ice, filling extensive hollows, and giving an enameled coat 
to adjoining valleys — one of which, commencing at the foot of the moun- 
tain where we stood, extended in a continued line toward the south as 
far as the eye could reach; mountain rising above mountain, until by dis- 
tance they dwindled into insignificance ; the whole contrasted by a cloud- 
less canopy of deepest azure, and lightened by the rays of a blazing 
sun, and the effect aided by a feeling of danger — seated as we were on 
the pinnacle of a rock, almost surrounded by tremendous precipices — all 
united to constitute a picture singularly sublime. 

" Our descent we found really a very hazardous, and in some in- 
stances, a painful undertaking. Every movement was a work of deliber- 
ation. Having by much care and some anxiety made good our descent 
to the top of the secondary hills, we took our way down one of the steep- 
est banks, and slid forward with great facility in a sitting posture. 
Toward the foot of the hill, an expanse of snow stretched across the line 
of descent. This being loose and soft, we entered upon it without fear, 
but on reaching the middle of it we came to a surface of solid ice, per- 
haps a hundred yards across, over which we launched with astonishing 
velocity, but happily escaped without injury. The men whom we left 
below viewed this latter movement with astonishment and fear. " 

In his further explorations along the east he found many skulls and 
large bones of whales, narwals, sea-horses, seals and foxes. Two Rus- 
sian lodges, giving tokens of recent habitation by quantities of fresh chips 
and other tokens lying around, and the ruins of an older one, were found 
upon a shingly ridge adjoining the sea. Amid the boulders which had 



EIGHTEENTH VOTAGE OF SCORESBT. 155 

in the process of ages rolled down upon the shore, or been conveyed 
thither by icebergs and ice-floes in great numbers, sea-birds had built 
their nests and laid their eggs, which they defended with great courage 
and much clamor against their enemies, the gulls. The only insect seen 
was a species of green fly, but medusas and shrimps abounded in the 
water along the coast. He found two species of fucaceae, a sub-order of 
the algae, or sea-weeds. 

A dead whale was found stranded on the beach, which, notwithstand- 
ing its swollen and half-putrid condition, proved worth about $3,000. 
Scoresby inferred from the harpoon with which it had been killed, and 
which still stuck where it had been driven, that it had been attacked by 
fishermen at the mouth of the Elbe and had worked its way north, not- 
withstanding its wound, to the spot where it was found. It was a labori- 
ous task to take the oil and blubber aboard the ship which stood off the 
shore some two miles, and was driven still farther by the wind before 
they had secured all the products. With the sixth boat-load they had to 
chase the ship, which they found great difficulty in overtaking. 

After Scoresby had made seventeen voyages to Arctic seas, he pub- 
lished, in 1820, "An Account of the Arctic Regions." This work added 
largely to the rather scant stock of general information on that subject, 
and constituted a valuable contribution to the hydrography, meteorology, 
and natural history of northern lands and seas. In 1S22 he made his 
eighteenth voyage, arriving on the coast of Greenland in the vicinity of 
Scpresby's Sound, where his father had been some years before. He ex- 
plored the coast to the north, which has been named Scoresby's Land in 
his honor, and which he described as the most grand and majestic he had 
ever seen. The mountains of this coast he named Roscoe, in honor of 
William Roscoe, poet, historian, member of parliament, and banker. 
They consist of a number of peaks about 3,000 feet high, and a still 
greater number of lower pyramidal elevations and a chaotic mass of jag- 
ged foot-hills with their rough declivities and narrow ravines. On the 
24th of July he landed on a rocky promontory at 70 30', which he 
named Cape Lister, in honor of the famous London merchant and opti- 
cian, Joseph Jackson Lister. He climbed to its summit to examine the 



156 



ESQUIMAUX CAMP. 



flora of this coast, which he described in his account of the voyage and its 
results, published in 1823 at Edinburgh. 

A little farther on — at what he named Cape Swainson, in honor 
of the distinguished naturalist, William Swainson — he descended 
to the shore. Here he found a recently deserted camp of the 




WILLIAM SCORESBY. 



Esquimaux. Charred driftwood and ashes lay on the healths of 
the several huts. No land animals were seen, but a number of 
great auks and other sea-fowls animated the waters. Mosquitoes, 
butterflies, bees, and some other less-known insects flew about among the 



JAN MAT EN ISLAND. 157 

crags on the hillsides, in this the solitary summer month of Greenland, 
the only one in which there is no snow. The Esquimaux huts showed 
considerable ingenuity on the part of the builders. The climate being 
excessively severe, special protection against the cold had to be devised 
by the simple natives. "Necessity proved to be the mother of invention," 
there as elsewhere, among the children of men. A tunnel fifteen feet 
long, and opening to the south, was found leading to each hut. This is 
but slightly raised above the level of the ground, being so low that even 
the stunted Esquimaux are compelled to crawl through it on their 
hands and feet. Its bottom is usually a little lower than the floor of the 
hut to which it leads, and is further depressed about the center, so that 
the colder and heavier outer air is kept from the hut, instead of blowing 
directly through on the same level. Experience had taught these deni- 
zens of latitude 7 1 ° what men in happier climes and with the advan- 
tages of schools and colleges, and the accumulated wisdom of ages 
stored in books, recognize as a fundamental principle in the science of 
physics. 

Returning to his ship, Scoresby proceeded still northward, and on the 
next day landed at what he named Cape Hope, in honor of Thomas 
Hope, a distinguished writer of the period. Here he found some more 
traces of Esquimaux — bones of the hare, and reindeer horns. The skull 
of a dog was raised on a small mound, it being a fancy of this simple peo- 
ple that the dog, who everywhere follows the footsteps of man, is the 
heaven-ordained guide of deceased children to the land of souls. The 
heat was now so great that many of the plants had shed their seeds, and 
some were already shriveled and dead. Scoresby now proceeded home- 
ward, and this was his last voyage to Arctic seas. 

Among his geographical explorations, he paid some attention to Jan 
Mayen Island, about midway between Iceland and Spitzbergen. This 
he found almost perpetually enveloped in mist, and its chief points of in- 
terest were the Beerenberg Mountain at its northern extremity, rising to 
the height of 6,870 feet, and the volcano Esk. Its dreary solitude would 
seldom be disturbed were it not for the herds of seal and walrus which 
frequent its ice-bound shores. Bears and sea-fowls are its only inhabi- 



158 LAST DATS OF SCORESBT. 

tants ; and the characteristic features of its landscape are the seven great 
glaciers which sweep down its sides to the water's edge. 

When the failure of Capt. Buchan, in 181S, had again damped the 
ardor of Arctic exploration, and the impossibility of reaching the Pole 
had begun to be accepted by the general public as a fact, Scoresby en- 
deavored to prove that there was no such impossibility as alleged. He 
claimed that a voyage to the Pole did not necessarily involve great diffi- 
culty or danger. He pointed out that the chief obstacle was the alterna- 
tion of ice fields with open sea; and proposed that to meet the difficulty 
it was only necessary to be ready to use, alternately, boats and sledges. 
This suggestion attracted attention, and has since been acted upon, no 
Arctic expedition being considered fully equipped without such double 
appliances. 

Scoresby afterward became a clergyman in the Church of England, 
receiving the degree of B. D. in 1834, and D. D. in 1S39. In the prose- 
cution of his researches in terrestrial magnetism in relation to navigation 
he made a voyage to the United States in 1847, and to Australia in 1853. 
He died at Torquay, in England, in 1S57. That portion of the north 
coast of Greenland which he explored in 1822, was named Scoresby 's 
Land, in his honor. 




PART III. 



THE FIRST SIC 
EES HF THE ISth 




'•'•O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea, 
Our thoughts as boundless and our souls as free; 
Far as the breeze can bear the billow's foam, 
Survey our empire, and behold our home." 

BYRON. 



'■'■Go forth and -prosper, then, emprising band, 
Alay He who in the hollow of His hand 
The ocean holds, and rules the whirlwinds sweep, 
Assuage its wrath and guide thee on the deep?" 1 

ANON. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

BUCHAN IN DOROTHEA AND TRENT DOROTHEA NEARLY DESTROYED 

IN THE ICE ISABELLA AND ALEXANDER UNDER COMMAND OF 

ROSS AND PARRY ENCOUNTER ESQUIMAUX PHENOMENON OF 

RED SNOW ErTER LANCASTER SOUND ROSS ORDERS A 

RETURN. 

Since the failure of Cook and Gierke in 1776-9, nothing had been 
done by the British government toward the solution of the problem in 
which the ministry were so much interested in 1773. The American 
War of Independence, 1775-83, and the Continental or French War, 
1 793-1 8 1 5, left them little leisure and less inclination to prosecute voy- 
ages of exploration in the Arctic, or elsewhere. Soon after peace was 
firmly established by the Treaty of Vienna, in 1815, encouraged by the 
information which had been, meanwhile, gathered through the Scoresbys 
and other whalers, the ministry resumed the consideration of geograph- 
ical and scientific voyages under the auspices of the crown. 

In 1 8 18 two Arctic expeditions were fitted out to seek a passage be- 
tween the Atlantic and the Pacific — the one by the north and east, and 
the other by the northwest route — each comprising two vessels. 

Captain David Buchan was put in command of the northern expedi- 
tion, and his vessels were the Dorothea and Trent, the latter under the 
immediate command of Lieut. John Franklin, now better known under 
his later title of Sir John Franklin. Buchan's instructions were to make 
due north for Spitzbergen, and doubling its northernmost headlands, to 
sail eastward through the Arctic Ocean, and reach the Pacific through 
Behring's Straits. This route is easy to trace on any good map, but 
the achievement has hitherto defied the best navigators. If the region 
could only be brought under the equator for a generation, this difficulty 
would be removed; but the ice, the impenetrable, long accumulating ice, 
11 161 



162 



ROSS AND PARRY. 



is there supreme, and likely to be so henceforward, unless some potent 
cosmical revolution should change its relative position. 

On the 30th of July both ships were caught in a storm to the north- 
west of Spitzbergen, and the Dorothea was so much injured by contact 
with the ice that it was thought advisable to return to England, and her 
consort accompanied her. This failure, though free from serious disaster, 
had a most discouraging effect uporl the public mind. 




SIR JOHN ROSS. 

Meanwhile, the other expedition had set sail on the iSth of April. 
It .consisted of two ships, the Isabella and Alexander, under command of 
Captain, afterward Sir John Ross, with Lieut. William Edward Parry in 
charge of the Alexander. Ross' instructions were to make for Davis' 
Straits and Baffin's Bay, and, if possible, to penetrate into the Arctic 




POKQTHEA AND TRBNTi 



163 



164 ASTONISHED NATIVES. 

Ocean by that route, after which he was to reach the Pacific by way of 
Behring's Straits. 

Reaching the west coast of Greenland they encountered much ice, 
and were told by a Danish official that the winter had been exceptionally 
severe. Beyond Disco Island Ross was enabled to make some correc- 
tions in the observations previously made, finding, among others, an error 
of 5 of longitude in the location of Way gat Island as it appeared on 
the charts of the British admiralty. He determined with greater exact- 
ness the northwest coast from Melville Bay to Smith's Sound. Having 
passed Upernavik in 72°4o', the most remote of all the Danish settle- 
ments on this coast, they were not a little surprised when they encoun- 
tered some Esquimaux three degrees farther on, in 75^54'. They had 
some difficulty in striking an acquaintance with these isolated and coy 
representatives of humanity. 

Their astonishment was very great on finding that this people did 
not even know that there were other denizens of the earth besides 
themselves. They were as ignorant of the Danish settlements 200 
miles away as of the Danish and other nations beyond the Atlantic. 
Their idea of the English navigators seemed to be that they were super- 
natural beings, inhabitants of another world. One of them, with much 
reverence and solemnity, addressed the moving and apparently living 
ship, asking, " Who are vou? Whence come you? Is it from the sun 
or moon?" They had no canoes, and seemed to have no conception of 
the nature of the ship. It was not to them as to others of the same 
race, a big canoe, but something entirely beyond the reach of their intel- 
lects to grasp. And yet, though behind many of the aboriginal tribes in 
this respect, they were ahead of most in their knowledge of the use 
of iron, which tends to show that the ages of the archaeologists 
are to be understood as stages of progress in the development of human- 
ity, but by no means synchronous nor successive over the whole earth. 
They had rude knives, the manufacture of which they explained in this 
way: They had found a huge mass of it — which the interpreter, per- 
haps, erroneously translated a mountain, but which was probably a 
meteoric body — and had chipped off the pieces which they had ham- 



CRIMSON CLIFFS. 165 

mered with stones into the shape in which they saw them. Ross named 
them the Arctic Highlanders. 

Proceeding farther up the coast, the)'- entered the phenomenon of red 
snow, which the great Swiss naturalist, Saussure, had observed in the 
Alps at least thirty years before, but which was none the less strange to 
our explorers. When melted, it presented the appearance of muddy 
port wine. For eight miles along the Greenland shore of Baffin's Bay 
the cliffs were covered with this peculiar snow, and in some places to the 
depth of twelve feet. In 1819, some months after their return to Eng- 
land, the coloring matter of the red snow was subjected to careful analy- 
sis by Robert Brown and Francis Bauer, who, however, diffei'ed slightly 
in opinion. Brown pronounced it a one-cell plant of the sea-weed order; 
Bauer named it the snow-uredo, a species of fungus. Afterward Baron 
Wrangell, the Russian explorer, declared it to be a lichen. Later still, 
Bishop Agardh, the Swedish naturalist, and Dr. Robert Kaye Greville, 
a famous British botanist of Edinburgh, have given the weight of their 
recognized authority in support of the opinion of Brown. These have 
been followed by several other scientists, and the minute plant is now 
scientifically known as the palmella nivalis, a little snow-palm, given it 
by Sir William Hooker. The motions of this microscopic object in the 
earlier stages of its existence have led some eminent naturalists to regard 
the coloring matter in red snow as animalcule, not plants. And it is 
not impossible that such may have been observed ; but the essential char- 
acter of the object is vegetable. In its mature state it consists of brilliant 
globules like fine garnets, seated on, but not immersed, in a gelatinous 
mass. Saussure had rightly conjectured that the red color was owing to 
the presence of some vegetable substance, but wrong in supposing it to 
be the pollen of a plant. 

Captain Ross was an experienced naval commander, having been in 
active service in the Continental War, but he was somewhat opinionated 
in this his first Arctic voyage, and inclined to follow the old school. He 
decided by his personal opinions questions of geography which required 
to be ascertained, not prejudged, and to which a little actual investiga- 
tion would have furnished a different answer. He sailed by Wolsten- 



t 

166 CROKER'S MOUNTAINS. 

holm, Whale and Smith Sounds without deigning to examine them, 
arbitrarily declaring them to be bays, the heads of which he thought 
were visible in the distance. But a worse mistake of the same kind was 
still to be made by the otherwise blameless Captain Ross. Passing to 
the west side of Baffin's Bay, the sea was found clear of ice, and the land 
free from snow, except on the distant mountain ranges. The tempera- 
ture rose, and the chance was favorable for achieving some great result. 
On the 29th of August the ships entered Lancaster Sound, so named by 
Baffin in honor of a distinguished English navigator in other seas, but 
who had always shown great interest in the discovery of the Northwest 
Passage, and had made a collection of documents tending to prove its 
feasibility. 

Into this spacious sound, nearly fifty miles wide at its eastern 
entrance, now passed the ships of Captain Ross, but they had advanced 
only thirty miles when, to the wonder and disappointment of officers and 
men, he ordered the vessels to turn back. Deceived by refraction or 
some atmospheric illusion, he thought he had seen a mountain range at 
a distance of about twenty-five miles ahead, which he inferred was the 
head of the bay, and which he even named Croker's Mountains, in 
honor of John Wilson Croker, then at the height of his fame. It is but 
justice to the memory of Ross to remind the reader that though the body of 
water in question, as well as the more northern ones known as Jones' 
and Smith's Sounds, had been discovered and named by Baffin, it had not 
been yet ascertained that they were sounds. It was, however, a ques- 
tion that had been discussed, and opinions were divided. Some of Ross' 
own officers believed that this water in which they were was a channel 
communicating with a larger body or sea to the west, if not with the 
Arctic Ocean itself; and his error consisted in not making the test when 
circumstances were favorable. 

Passing down Baffin's Bay along its southern coast, of which 
but little was known, he failed to explore it; and reaching Cum- 
berland Sound he exhibited the same fatal indifference. The 
aggravation of the unconscious offense lay in the fact that the season 
was an exceptionally favorable one for making a thorough examination 



ROSS ORDERS A RETURN. 



167 



of that coast. For, notwithstanding what he had been told by the Danish 
commandant some months before, the fact was that up to that time 
Baffin's Bay had not been so open for exploration. Here again his inex- 
perience of northern latitudes put him at a disadvantage. They left 
Cumberland Sound for England early in October, and arrived in safety, 
without having effected anything of consequence, and added to the gen- 
eral discouragement created by the more excusable failure of Buchan. 




CHAPTER XIX. 

FIRST VOYAGE OF PARRY OBJECT OF THE VOYAGE ENTER THE 

ARCTIC CIRCLE BESET IN THE ICE REACH POSSESSION BAY 

PRINCE REGENT INLET NAMED CAPE YORK. 

Among those who inclined to the opinion that Lancaster Sound 
opened into a larger body to the west, and perhaps communicated with 
the Arctic Ocean, was Lieutenant Parry, second in command to Ross. 
He had entered the navy in 1S03, while yet a lad, having been born 
Dec. 19, 1790. He devoted his spare time on board to s>elf-educa- 
tion, and especially to the mastering of the nautical and astronomical sci- 
ence of his day. He received his commission of lieutenant in 1810, and 
was given command of a vessel to the Arctic regions for the double pur- 
pose of affording protection to British whalers, and perfecting the admi- 
ralty charts of those seas. In 18 13 he was recalled and sent to join the 
British fleet then blockading the ports of the United States, and after the 
war, continued attached to the North American squadron till 1S17. 
While with Ross in 1818, he was impressed with the great depth and 
high temperature of the water in Lancaster Sound, and was dissatisfied 
with the conclusion arrived at by his chief. Though .modest in the ex- 
pression of his dissent, it reached the ears of the ministry, and to him 
was now intrusted an expedition to go over the same ground. Though 
the general public had about given up all hope of a Northwest Passage 
being ever found, the leaders of thought, and the authorities, as well as 
Parry and some other of Ross' officers, were not disposed to give up 
the seaixh until Lancaster Sound, at least, had been properly explored. 

The new expedition, like so many others of the recent ones, con- 
sisted of two ships — the Hecla of 375, and the Griper of 180 tons burden. 
Both were victualed for two years and amply provided with stores of 

all kinds, including canned meats and extra clothing for the men. 

168 



BEAR KILLED. 



169 



Though the main object of the voyage was to search for the Northwest 
Passage, and especially through Lancaster Sound, yet any new informa- 
tion that could be gleaned in relation to geography, natural history, me- 
teorology or other science, was to be carefully noted and preserved. 
After passing latitude 65 , they were to throw overboard from time to 
time a sealed bottle, containing a record of the date and position where 
it had been consigned to the deep. And wherever they should land 
on the coast of North America they were to erect a flag-stafF, hoist the 
union jack, and deposit at the 
foot a record of what they had 
achieved, and their future inten- 
sions, in a similar sealed bottle. 

Parry's expedition left London 
May 5, 1S19, but did not clear 
the Orkney Islands until the 20th. 
On the 30th they took soundings 
for the alleged " Sunken Land of 
Buss," on the direct route to 
Greenland, but failed to find any 
evidence of its existence. On 
the 15th of June they sighted 
Cape Farewell, but at the dis- 
tance of perhaps 120 miles. On 
the 18th they encountered the sir william edward parry. 

first ice stream of floating ice, and saw several icebergs. They 
noticed several ' kinds of sea fowls and in greater numbers than 
usual, and found the water 3° lower in temperature, and of a dirty 
brownish tinge. On the 24th the ice was seen extending clear to 
the western horizon; and on the 25th they were towed slowly along 
by their boats through the ice-floe. An easterly wind now closed 
the ice around them so that they were forced to desist from their rowing; 
and the vessels remained ice-locked until the 29th, making such progress 
as the ice made, and no more. 

They saw a whale and a bear, the latter of which they killed, but the 




170 ENGAGED IN ICE. 

living and the dead disappeared beneath the ice. On the 30th, after 
eight hours of incessant labor, they were enabled to work the ships into 
clear water to the east. They skirted these ice-packs for three days 
looking in vain for an opening to the west side of Davis' Strait; and in 
constant danger of being driven into the ice by the east wind. On the 
3d of July they entered within the Arctic Circle off the northern penin- 
sula of Cumberland, having passed not less than fifty icebergs during 
the day. Toward midnight a chain of icebergs appeared to the north, 
and the wind dying down, the ships were in imminent danger of coming 
into close quarters with them, being carried forward by a southerly swell, 
and unable to change their direction in the calm. By putting out their 
boats they succeeded in towing back the Hecla, which was ahead, into 
open water, and out of the way of the icebergs on the morning of the 
4th, and at noon were in the middle of Davis' Straits, with the ice to 
the westward. A day or two later they killed a walrus, and saved its 
blubber for lamp-oil. On the tenth they killed a bear and succeeded in 
getting it aboard. On the 17th they took the ice, that is they sailed into 
it, in order to keep as close to the westward as possible, the commander 
being still bent on not going too far from that side of the strait. They 
succeeded in getting twelve miles, when, on the iSth, they encountered 
a body of ice right across their bows. This they attempted to bore, or 
push through, but the wind not being favorable, they stuck fast after 
having penetrated it about 300 feet. 

For five hours they labored, hither and thither, backward and 
forward, before they could succeed in crossing this ice-belt of only 
300 yards' width. The fog by which they had been long beset 
having lifted on the 21st, they descried on the distant coast of 
Greenland, the headland just south of Upernavik, and which Davis 
had named Sanderson's Hope, in 15S7. The commander again grow- 
ing uneasy at the distance he was compelled to keep from the 
western shore of Baffin's Bay, determined to make another effort 
to push through the ice to the west. The struggle so bravely 
entered on, lasted seven days, and after prodigies of endurance and . 
long-continued exertions, sometimes lasting without intermission for 



DISAPPEARANCE OF CHOKER'S MOUNTAINS. 171 

eleven hours at a stretch, by backing and towing, sawing through 
the ice-packs, and other devices, they succeeded in getting into 
clear water on the western shore of Baffin's Bay. Thev had traversed 
eighty miles of almost continuous ice-floe from about the middle of the 
bay, which they had left on the 22d, and now, at six o'clock on the 29th, 
they found themselves sailing in an open sea, free from all obstructions. 
Here they saw not less than eighty-two whales in a single day. The 
sea was deep — they were unable to reach bottom with a line of 310 
fathoms ; the temperature of the water was found six degrees higher, 
and they soon came in sight of land. 

On the last day of July, 1S19, the commander and a few of his men 
went ashore in Possession Bay, where on the previous year Capt. Ross 
had raised a flag-staff. This they found uninjured, and the tracks made 
in putting it up, uneffaced, whence they inferred that it had remained 
unvisited since its erection. A small party was detached a short dis- 
tance to ascertain if the land was a wood-bearing one, as had been 
claimed because of some birch-bark picked up on the previous voyage, 
but no trace of wood could be discovered. Appointing a rendezvous with 
Liddon in case the vessels became separated, Parry now prepared to 
push forward in the Hecla as rapidly as possible. The wind becoming 
favorable Aug. 3, they crowded sail and sped rapidly through Lancaster 
Sound. "It is more easy to imagine than describe," says Parry, "the al- 
most breathless anxiety which was now visible in every countenance, 
while as the breeze increased to a fresh gale, we ran quickly up the 
sound. The mast heads were crowded by the officers and men during 
the whole afternoon; and an unconcerned observer, if any Could have 
been unconcerned on such an occasion, would have 'been amused by the 
eagerness with which the various reports from the crow's nest were re- 
ceived; all, however, hitherto favorable to our most sanguine hopes." 

Before night they had passed the point reached the previous year ; and 
soon attained longitude 83 ° 12', with the channel about forty miles 
wide, and as deep as at the entrance. The water had the color of the 
ocean, with a perceptible swell from the south and east. They saw noth- 
ing of Croker's Mountains which thenceforth disappeared from geo- 



172 ' CAPE TORK. 

graphical nomenclature. They began to imagine they had already 
reached the open polar sea, and were on the very eve of solving the 
double problem of finding the Northwest Passage and the Pole. They 
were soon undeceived, for though the fancied mountains had disappeared, 
they encountered a very real obstacle in an ice-pack. To the south they 
observed an opening thirty miles wide, which they entered in the hope 
of still pushing westward. In this, however, they were disappointed, 
finding themselves in what Parry named Prince Regent Inlet, which, 
with its wide continuation, the Gulf of Boothia, stretched away to the 
south, some 450 miles. In descending the inlet the ships' compasses 
lost their wonted energy, and they witnessed for the first time "the cu- 
rious phenomenon of the directive power of the needle becoming so 
weak as to be completely overcome by the attraction of the ship; so 
that the needle might now be properly said to point to the north pole of 
the ship." 

They sailed through the inlet to where it widened into the gulf already 
mentioned, and finding the northwest corner, which was the direction 
they sought to take, blocked by an impenetrable ice-barrier, they re- 
traced their course. On the 13th they discovered on the east shore of 
the inlet a harbor one mile wide and three deep, which they named 
Port Bowen. The narwals were here found in great numbers, and also 
dovekies and ducks. They landed on what Parry describes as the most 
barren spot he had ever seen. Being here detained two days by the ice, 
they made some slight exploration of the barren coast, and deposited on 
a little hillock a record-bottle, which they covered with a pile of schis- 
tose limestone. Of this there was an abundance, but there was neither 
soil nor vegetation to be found. On the 17th they reached the head- 
land at the northeastern point of the junction of Prince Regent Inlet 
with Lancaster Sound, to which Parry gave the name of Cape York. 
At nine o'clock in the evening of the iSth, after beating around for several 
hours among ice-floes, they reached clear water near the north shore of 
Lancaster Sound. In a few days they found the channel so clear of ice 
that it was impossible to believe it to be the same part of the sea, which 
but a day or two before had been completely covered with floes to the 



ESQUIMAUX HUTS. 173 

utmost extent of our view." Here they picked up a spar which a sea- 
man had dropped overboard some two weeks before, indicating the 
absence of current and the extent of their digression. 

Entering the continuation of Lancaster Sound, to which Parry gave 
the name of Barrow Strait, in honor of Sir John Barrow, second lord 
of the admiralty, they passed Beechey Island, Cape Hotham and Cape 
Bowden. On the 2 2d of August, in longitude 92? 15', they saw an inlet 
about twenty-five miles in width, which opened to the north, and in 
which they could see neither land nor ice from the masthead. To this 
Parry gave the name of Wellington Channel; and this break in the con- 
tinuity of the coast on that side had the effect of making him think that 
he " had actually entered the Polar Sea. Though two-thirds of the 
month of August had now elapsed, I had every reason to be satisfied, 1 ' 
he says, " with the progress we had hitherto made. I calculated upon 
the sea being navigable for six weeks to come, and probably more, if the 
state of the ice would permit us to edge away to the southward in our 
progress westerly. Our prospects, indeed, were truly exhilarating; the 
ships had suffered no injury; we had plenty of provisions ; crews in high 
health and spirits; a sea, if not open, at least navigable; and a zealous 
and unanimous determination, in both officers and men, to acoomplish by 
all possible means the grand object on which we had the happiness to be 
employed." 

Still sailing westward through Barrow's Strait along the south coast of 
Cornwallis Island, they reached Griffith, now Bathurst Island. The 
former has since been ascertained to be a peninsula of the latter, but they 
were supposed at this time to be distinct islands. Here they found traces 
of an Esquimaux encampment, which Captain Sabine examined with 
care. He found six huts " on a level, sandy bank, at the side of a small 
ravine near the sea," and constructed " of stones rudely placed in a cir- 
cular or elliptical form. They -were from seven to ten feet in diameter; 
the broad, flat sides of the stones standing vertically, and the whole 
structure, if such it may be called, being exactly similar to that of the 
summer huts of the Esquimaux which we had seen at Hare Island the 
preceding year. Attached to each of them was a smaller circle, generally 



174 MEN LOST. 

four or five feet in diameter, which had probably been the fireplace. 
The small circles were placed indifferently as to their direction from the 
huts to which they belonged ; and from the moss and sand which covered 
some of the stones, particularly those which composed the flooring of the 
huts, the whole encampment appeared to have been deserted for several 
years." 

The magnetic observations made here, compared with those of Prince 
Regent Inlet, already noted, " led to the conclusion," says Edward Sa- 
bine, the mathematician of the expedition, "that we had in sailing over the 
space included between the two meridians, crossed immediately to the 
northward of the magnetic pole, and had undoubtedly passed over one of 
those spots upon the globe where the needle would have been found to 
vary iSo°, or, in other words, where its north pole would have pointed 
due south. This spot would, in all probability, at this time be somewhere 
not far from the meridian of \oq°. west of Greenwich." 

Continuing their voyage to the westward, without diverging to the 
south in the wide expanse of Melville Sound, they skirted the coast of a 
yet larger island, which Parry named Melville Island. On the 4th of 
September they passed longitude no? west, thus becoming entitled to 
the reward of £5,000 offered by order of council " to such of His 
Majesty's subjects as might succeed in penetrating thus far to the west, 
within the Arctic Circle." They named the neighboring headland 
Bounty Cape, and continued their course to the westward. Checked by 
the ice, they made several excursions on shore in search of game, and for 
purposes of exploration, from the Sth to the 13th. In one of these, 
seven of the men got lost, and afterward separated into two sections of 
three and four. The four returned in three days, being guided by a flag- 
staff* which the commander had ordered raised for that purpose; and the 
other three after an absence of ninety-one hours. Relays of search 
parties were sent out, day after day ; and all the wanderers were finally 
brought safely to the ships. By the care and attention of their comrades 
and the medical staff, they soon recovered from their exhaustion. 

On the 20th a council of officers was held, who concurred with the 
commander in the opinion that, as the ice continued to close in upon them, 



WINTER QUARTERS. 175 

and there was but little prospect of making any headway to the west, it 
was time to seek for winter quarters. Two days later they retraced their 
course, and began to make their way slowly eastward, to Bounty Cape. 
They had previously named a neighboring inlet the Bay of the Hecla 
and Griper, and here they now determined to seek refuge. To reach 
the head of the bay they had to cut a canal nearly two and one-third 
miles through the new ice, the average thickness of which was seven 
inches. This they effected in three days, and at a quarter-past three 
o'clock on Sunday, September 26, they had reached their moorings in 
what they named Winter Harbor, in longitude no Q 48' 2" west, and 
latitude 74 47'. Hereupon the men cheered lustily, and with some 
reason, as they were now relatively safe. The ships floated in a land- 
locked harbor in five fathoms of water and at a cable's length from the 
land, where the ice-floe could not imperil them. And yet one can hardly 
refrain from reflecting what a dreary refuge it was over which they 
rejoiced. 

But human joy is always a matter rather of comparative than 
absolute comfort. These men were on the eve of an Arctic winter of 
perhaps nine months' duration, and during three of these they were to 
be bereft of sunlight; and yet they make the welkin ring with their 
cheers ! Were they seeking to find relief from the heart-sickening which* 
the situation was so well calculated to produce? More probably the 
sense of having conquered the sea and the ice, and asserted once again 
the human prerogative of subduing adverse circumstances, naturally 
awakened this gleam of exultation. Some time before, Parry had given 
expression to a sentiment which no doubt had its influence on this occa- 
tion: "It created in us no ordinary feelings of pleasure," says he, "to see 
the British flag waving for the first time in these regions, which had 
been hitherto considered beyond the limits of the habitable world." 



CHAPTER XX. 

TRIALS AND PASTIMES OF AN ARCTIC WINTER HEALTH REGULA- 
TIONS AN ARCTIC NEWSPAPER AN ARCTIC THEATER DAILY 

OCCUPATIONS TOTAL ABSENCE OF THE SUN THE APPEARANCE 

OF SCURVY — MOCK SUNS — -MORE THEATRICALS EXTRACT FROM 

AN ARCTIC JOURNAL A SHOWER OF RAIN. 

No time was lost; the security of the ships and the preservation of 
the stores and provisions received prompt attention. The vessels were 
unrigged, and partially dismasted; the lower yards were lashed fore and 
aft, to support the planks which were to constitute the outer shell of an 
extemporized house on shipboard. Boats, spars, sails, ropes, and every- 
thing not likely to be needed were stored away on shore, and the house 
on each ship was covered with a cloth by way of roof. Parry next gave 
his attention to providing every possible safeguard against sickness. For- 
tunately the men had hitherto shown no symptoms of that scourge of 
seamen, the scurvy; and it was of the utmost importance to anticipate 
its approach by the use of all known preventives that were accessible. 
The first care was directed toward utilizing the heat from the galley- 
range and copper-boilers of the ships, and by some ingenious but simple 
contrivances this was made to warm the sleeping berths of the men. A 
large stone oven, cased with cast iron, used for baking their bread, was 
placed in the main hatchway, and the pipe carried fore and aft on the 
lower deck, the smoke ascending through the forward hatchway. With 
an ordinary fire and these appliances they were able to secure a temper- 
ature of 87 ° Fahrenheit, at a distance of seventeen feet from the fire- 
place. The steam from the coppers was intercepted on a curtain of 
dreadnaught reaching to within eighteen inches of the deck, which suf- 
fered the heat to pass beyond, -while the steam was condensed into water 
on the hanging cloth. Provision was made for the distribution of suffi- 

m 



ARCTIC JOURNALISM. 177 

cient food, but reduced one-third from the stated allowance. The daily 
ration of lime-juice and sugar mixed together, and with a proper quantity 
of water, was drank in presence of an officer, to insure compliance with 
this precautionary regulation of the commander. Once a week the med- 
ical staff examined the men for symptoms of scurvy. 

Parties were sent out to hunt, who at first found an abundance of 
grouse and reindeer, but before the close of October these had all migra- 
ted from Melville Island ; but wolves and foxes remained all winter. 
This fresh meat, when obtainable, was served instead of the regular 
rations, to insure its consumption ; for, although often less palatable, it was 
more wholesome. To promote contentment among the men, no par- 
tiality in quantity or quality of food of any kind was shown to officers. 
During the day the men "were employed in banking up the ship with 
snow, and when this resource was exhausted they were sent on short 
excursions inland and along shore for sake of exercise. In bad weather 
they were marched around the deck to the time of a barrel organ. 

Recognizing the value of hygienic cheerfulness and laughter, the 
commander, in concert with his principal officers, now projected a series 
of theatrical representations, at intervals of about two weeks. " In these 
amusements," says Parry, " I gladly undertook a part myself, consider- 
ing that an example of cheerfulness, by giving direct countenance to 
everything that could contribute to it, was not the least essential part of 
my duty, under the peculiar circumstances under which we were placed. 

" In order still farther to promote good humor among ourselves, as 
well as to furnish amusing occupation during the hours of constant dark- 
ness, we set on foot a weekly newspaper, which was to be called the 
'North Georgia Gazette' (he had named the islands now best known by 
his name, the North Georgian Islands) and ' Winter Chronicle,' and of 
which Capt. Sabine undertook to be the editor, under the promise that it 
was to be supported by original contributions from the officers of the 
two ships; and I can safely say that the weekly contributions had the 
happy effect of employing the leisure hours of those who furnished them, 
and diverting the mind from the gloomy prospect which would sometimes 
obtrude itself on the stoutest heart." 



178 DAILY OCCUPATIONS. 

Meanwhile Capt. Sabine had erected an observatory about yoo yards 
to the west of the ships, and a house for the instruments, made with a 
double sheeting of planks. The intervening space being packed with 
moss, this house could be kept comfortably warm in the worst weather 
by a single stove. They had expected to make important observations 
on the 4th of November, the last day of the sun's appearance above 
the horizon; but the weather was too foggy, and they were unable to 
calculate the amount of refraction as anticipated. On the 5th they pre- 
sented to an admiring and enthusiastic audience their first play, " A Miss 
in Her Teens," which was loudly applauded. Besides affording the antici- 
pated amusement to the men, it was found that putting the play on the 
boards, as well as running the machinery and properties afterward, 
afforded pleasant and exhilarating occupation to a number of them, 
which, perhaps, was not the least beneficial result of the original design. 
The commander wisely " dreaded the want of employment as one of the 
worst evils that was likely to befall them." 

In pursuance of this idea the men were so busily engaged that they 
complained of not finding time to mend their clothes, whereupon the 
commander set apart one afternoon in each week for that purpose. " The 
officers and quartermasters were divided into four watches, which were 
regularly kept as at sea, while the remainder of the ship's company 
were allowed to enjoy their night's rest undisturbed. The hands were 
turned up at a quarter before six, and both decks were well rubbed "with 
stones and warm sand before eight o'clock, at which time, as usual at 
sea, both officers and men went to breakfast. Three-quarters of an hour 
being allowed after breakfast for the men to prepare themselves for mus- 
ter, we then beat to divisions punctually at a quarter-past nine, when 
every person on board attended on the quarter-deck, and a strict inspec- 
tion of the men took place as to their personal cleanliness, and the good 
condition as well as warmth of their clothing." 

While the commander examined the lower deck and visited the 
sick, those he had left, occupied themselves with a walk or run 
about the vessel ; and on his return were dismissed for a trip 
ashore until noon. These stated walks afforded no amusement 



TWILIGHT AT NOON. 179 

and but little interest. The dreary sameness of the scene, the 
silent and unchanging landscape, the glaring ice and snow, could not 
prove otherwise than monotonous. It was, however, much better than 
sitting still and moping; its recurrence served to arrest attention, and its 
execution afforded the gratification of a duty performed. " We had 
frequent occasion," says Parry, " in our walks on shore to remark the 
deception which takes place in estimating the distance and magnitude of 
objects when viewed over an unvaried surface of snow. It was not un- 
common for us to direct our steps toward what we took for a large mass 
of stone at a distance of half a mile from us, but which we were able to 
take up in our hands after one minute's walk. This was more particu- 
larly the case when ascending the brow of a hill, nor did we find that 
the deception became less on account of the frequency with which we 
experienced its effects." 

The afternoons were devoted by the men to making the plaited cords 
or gaskets used in furling sails, or similar shipwork. At six they were 
again summoned for general inspection, after which they took supper, 
and then amused themselves as best they might with various games 
until nine o'clock, when they went to bed. The watch visited the lower 
deck every half-hour to see that all was safe ; and to be ready, should 
fire break out, a hole was cut twice a day in the ice near each ship. On 
Sundays divine service was regularly held on each ship, and a sermon 
read. These religious exercises, aside from their ordinary salutary effects 
on the human mind and conduct, are recognized as of special potency in 
tranquilizing the spirits and sustaining the courage of large bodies of 
men in difficult situations. 

Though they were now in continuous " night," it should be noted that 
each day about noon they enjoyed a considerable twilight for about two 
hours, sufficient not only to enable them to take their accustomed walk 
with comfort, but even to read ordinary type without artificial light. 
Nor even on the shortest day, the 22d of December, were they entirely 
deprived of this twilight; for Parry particularly mentions that he was 
able to read for a short time on that day, but it was necessary to hold the 
printed page directly toward the south. Indeed, the use of the word 



180 A WELCOME VISITOR. 

night in this connection is liable to convey a wrong impression. The 
reflection of light from the snow and the moonlight were sufficient even 
in the thickest weather to dispel the feeling of gloom that accompanies 
a dark night in temperate zones. They observed Christmas on board 
with as near an approach as possible to the customs of their country, 
and the playwrights and actors prepared and performed a Christmas 
piece, expressly adapted to the audience and the circumstances. During 
January the thermometer ranged from 30 to 40 below zero, and occa- 
sionally sank to 50°, so that in going ashore the change of temperature 
was sometimes 120 , but by using the necessary precautions no injury 
was received, and they kept up their daily rambles. 

At length the gunner of the Hecla was taken down with scurvy, 
contracted through the moisture deposited by the steam on his 
bedclothes, notwithstanding all the care that had been taken to 
guard against this evil. By the free use of the recognized remedies, 
especially the fresh mustard and cresses, which the commander 
with his usual forethought had procured, the gunner was restored 
to health. A few others were slightly affected, and more easily 
cured. It was found that the men became easily frost-bitten in 
their feet, and with his customary spirit of investigation the comman- 
der sought out the cause and the remedy. It was found that the hard 
thick leather of which their boots were made cramped their feet and 
prevented the circulation, thus inducing frost bites of the joints. " Being 
very desirous," says Parry, " of avoiding these accidents, which, from 
the increased sluggishness with which the sores healed, were more and 
more likely to affect the general health of the patients by long confine- 
ment, I directed a pair of canvas boots, lined with blanketing or some 
other woolen stuff, to be made for each man, using rawhide as soles; this 
completely answered the desired purpose, as scarcely any frost bites in 
the feet afterward occurred, except under circumstances of very severe 
exposure." 

At noon on Feb. 3d the sun was seen fifty-one feet above the hori- 
zon from the maintop of the Hecla for the first time since Nov. 1 1 ; 
and at the same hour on the yth its full orb was first visible above the 




181 



182 A BLAZE. 

horizon, with a mock-sun 22° to the east. The daylight was sufficient 
from eight to four o'clock for outside work, and they began the task of 
preparation for their departure. They collected stones for ballast, of 
which the Hecla would require seventy tons, besides twenty of additional 
water to replace the weight of provisions and stores consumed during 
their stay. February proved the coldest month, the mercury descending 
to 55? below zero on the night of the 14th. But even then no inconven- 
ience was suffered from exposure to the open air in calm weather. If, 
however, there was occasion to face even a light wind, severe pains in the 
face and head were sure to ensue. On the 16th a mock sun appeared on 
each side of the sun, visible for half an hour. On the 24th the house 
which had been built on shore for astronomical instruments, was discov- 
ered to be on fire. The men from both ships hastened to the rescue, and 
by tearing off the roof and throwing snow on the burning interior, they 
extinguished the flames without injury to the more valuable instruments. 
The thermometer was at 44 below zero, and they were at work three- 
quarters of an hour. " The men's faces presented a singular spectacle; 
almost every nose and cheek was frost-bitten, and became quite white in 
five minutes after being exposed to the weather; so that the medical 
men, with some others appointed to assist them, were obliged to go 
constantly round while the men were working at the fire, and to rub 
with snow the parts affected in order to restore animation. Capt. 
Sabine's servant, in his anxiety to save the dipping needle from the 
observatory, ran out without his gloves; his fingers, in consequence, were 
so completely frozen that on his hands being plunged into a basin of cold 
water, the surface was immediately covered with a cake of ice from the 
intensity of the cold thus communicated to it; but animation could not 
be restored in this instance, and it was found necessary to resort to ampu- 
tation." This hero of duty and victim of imprudence was John Smith. 
He lost parts of four fingers on one hand and three on the other. 

Sunday, the 5th of March, was the first day to which they could at- 
tach the idea of spring, and they noticed with peculiar gratification the 
thawing of a little snow on the stern of the Hecla, Which lay due south, 
this being: the first time such a thins: had occurred for more than five 



EXTRACT FROM AN ARCTIC JOURNAL. 183 

months. On the 8th, "it will scarcely be credited," says Parry, "that we 
removed about ioo buckets full of ice, each containing from five to six 
gallons, being the accumulation which had taken place in an interval of 
less than four weeks ; and this immense quantity was the produce of the 
men's breath and of the steam of their victuals during meals, that from the 
coppers were being effectually carried on deck by the screen which I have 
before mentioned." But though March "came in as a lamb," before the 
middle of April the weather again grew very cold. The 16th, however, 
was mild and pleasant, and is worthy of mention as being the date of 
their last theatrical performance, consisting of two farces — "The Citizen" 
and "The Mayor of Garratt" — with an original epilogue by one of the 
ship's poets. A week later they tested the newly formed ice in Winter 
Harbor. The depth of water was only twenty-five and a half feet, and 
the ice was found to be six and a half feet thick. This had been pro- 
duced in six months, and allowing for six weeks more to the close of the 
season it was thought fair to estimate the rate of formation as seven feet 
and a half for the whole winter. Toward the close of April the weather 
again grew mild and genial, but on the first of May under the influence 
of a strong gale from the north, it suddenly became as cold as before. 

"The Winter Chronicle and North Georgia Gazette" appeared 
daily, Sundays excepted, from the first of November, 1S19, to the 20th 
of March, 1820. It reported the different excursions, hunting expedi- 
tions, explorations, discoveries, accidents, and adventures. It contained 
criticisms of the latest theatrical performance and announcements of the 
next one. Stories, original and otherwise, correspondence and poetry, 
were not wanting; and altogether it must be regarded as one of the most 
successful ventures in journalism ever attempted. It was eagerly 
perused by the whole community; such as could not read had it read to 
them ; and there was not a single resident of Winter Harbor who did 
not take the Gazette. The following letter, which appeared in the first 
number, graphically describes the interest awakened, and therefore is 
given in full : 

" Mr. Editor: — -Your proposition to establish a journal has been re- 
ceived by us with the greatest satisfaction. I am convinced that, under 



184 ARCTIC TRIBULATIONS. 

your direction, it will be a great source of amusement, and go a long 
way to lighten our hundred days of darkness. The interest I take in 
the matter myself, has led me to study the effect of your announcement 
on my comrades, and I can testify — to use reporters' language — that the 
thing has produced an immense sensation. The day after your pros- 
pectus appeared, there was an unusual and unprecedented demand for 
ink among us, and our green tablecloth was deluged with snippings and 
parings of quill-pens, to the injury of one of our servants, who got a 
piece driven right under his nail. I know for a fact that Sergeant Mar- 
tin had no less than nine penknives to sharpen. It was quite a novel 
sight to see all the writing-desks brought out, which had not made their 
appearance for a couple of months; and judging by the reams of paper 
visible, more than one visit must have been made to the depths of the 
hold. 

"I must not forget to tell you, that I believe attempts will be made to 
slip into your box sundry articles which are not altogether original, as 
they have been published already. I can declare that no later than last 
night, I saw an author, bending over his desk, holding a volume of the 
'Spectator' open with one hand, and thawing the frozen ink in his pen 
at the lamp, with the other. I need not warn you to be on your guard 
against such tricks, for it would never do for us to have articles in our 
'Winter Chronicle' which our great-grandfathers read over their break- 
fast tables a century ago." 

"Arctic Tribulations — To go out in the morning for a walk, and the 
moment you put your foot outside the ship, find yourself immersed in 
the cook's water-hole. 

" To go out hunting, and fall in with a splendid reindeer, take aim, 
and find your gun has gone off with a flash in the pan, owing to damp 
powder. 

" To set out on a march with a good supply of soft new bread in 
your pocket, and discover when you want to eat, that it has frozen so 
hard that you would break your teeth if you attempted to bite it through. 

" To rush from the table when it is reported that a wolf is in sight, 
and on coming back to find the cat has eaten your dinner." 



THE HECLA BECOMES FREE. 185 

" To be returning quietly home from a walk, absorbed in profitable 
meditation, and suddenly find yourself in the embrace of a bear." 

On the 6th of May, with the thermometer at only 8i^° above zero, 
they began to cut the ice from about the ships, the men as usual being 
carefully looked after, and supplied with special equipments to protect 
them against the weather. On the 12th, the first ptarmigan appeared, 
and on the 13th, the northward tracks of reindeer and musk-oxen were 
noticed. On the 15th, two or three flocks of ptarmigans were seen, and 
thence on "a brace or two were almost daily secured for the sick, for 
whose use they were exclusively reserved." They had worked twelve 
days in cutting the ice from around the Hecla when she disengaged her- 
self, like a thing of life bursting its lighter bonds after the chief obstruc- 
tions had been removed. Seven days later they had a shower of rain 
which created as much surprise as if they had never seen one, every one 
hurrying on deck to revel in the almost forgotten sensation. With the 
cutting of ice to liberate the ships; the hauling, the breaking, weighing, 
and stowing of stone to ballast them ; the making and repairing of sails 
and cordage; and the various labors of carpenters, coopers, caulkers, and 
armorers, the vessels and the shore now presented an animated appear- 
ance; and the general health was promoted by the abundance of work 
and the change in temperature. On the last day of May, the commander 
took a survey of the landscape from an adjoining hill, but it was not very 
encouraging. "The sea still presented the same unbroken and continu- 
ous surface of solid and impenetrable ice, and this ice could not be less 
than from six to seven feet in thickness, as we knew it to be about the 
ships. When to this circumstance was added the consideration that 
scarcely the slightest symptoms of thawing had yet appeared, and that 
in three weeks from this period the sun would again begin to decline to 
the southward, it must be confessed that the most sanguine and enthusi- 
astic among us had some reason to be staggered in the expectations they 
had formed of the complete accomplishment of our enterprise." 

On the first day of June, leaving orders to Lieuts. Liddon and Beechey 
to prosecute the work of preparation, the commander, accompanied by 
Captain Sabine, Messrs. Fisher, Nias, Reid and seven others, proceeded 



186 ESQUIMAUX HUTS. 

to explore Melville Island toward the north. Their provisions and sup- 
plies weighed Soo pounds, and were borne on a cart made for the purpose, 
and drawn by the men. In addition to this general equipment each man 
carried a knapsack containing clothing and blankets, and weighing about 
seventeen pounds. Having reached the northern coast of the island on 
the eighth, they erected a cairn, twelve feet wide and as many high, in 
which was deposited a tin cylinder containing an account of the trip and 
a few English coins. On the 9th they crossed a small running stream, 
the first they had seen. Four days later they discovered in the north- 
west of the island the remains of six Esquimaux huts. " They consisted 
of rude circles, about six feet in diameter, constructed irregularly of 
stones of all sizes and shapes, and raised to the height of two feet from 
the ground. They were paved 'with large slabs of white schistose sand- 
stone, which is here abundant. The moss had spread over this floor, and 
appeared to be the growth of three or four years. In each of the huts on 
one side was a small sepai'ate compartment forming a recess, projecting 
outward, which had probably been their store-room ; and at a few feet 
from one of the huts was a smaller circle of stones, which had composed 
the fire-place, the marks of fire being still perceptible upon them." Dur- 
ing the trip, which occupied just fourteen days, they had been able to 
kill some game, thus securing a healthful and pleasant change from the 
preserved meats which formed their regular fare. Their only mishap 
was the breaking down of their cart in descending the side of a ravine on 
the 10th, after which they carried the remainder of their provisions and 
supplies on their backs, the officers being burdened with about fifty 
pounds each, and the men, as more robust, taking some twenty pounds 
more. 

On his return to the ships Parry found the preparations had pro- 
gressed favorably in his absence; and what was equally gratifying, that 
the indigenous sorrel plant was so far advanced as to be fit for eating. 
The men were sent out for an hour or two everv afternoon to collect the 
leaves of this plant, which was found growing all around in great abund- 
ance, and of which they consumed a great quantity as a preventive of the 
scurvy. On the 30th of June their only chronic patient, William Scott, 



BURIAL OF SCOTT. 



187 



died; and on Sunday, the 2d of July, he was huried on land with great 
solemnity and respect. On the 17th the thermometer reached 6o°, the 
highest point marked during their entire stay in Winter Harbor; and 
the month of July was declared to be the only one in the year which 
could be said to be at all comfortable in that climate. And yet the ice 
held them captive until the 30th of July, when the whole body began to 
move out of the harbor. 




CHAPTER XXI. 

STRUGGLE WITH ICE BANKS' LAND DISCOVERED PROVISIONS DE- 
STROYED OUT OF DANGER PARRY ORDERS FUEL RATIONS FOR 

HIS CREW THE RETURN HOMEWARD VISIT FROM ESQUIMAUX 

DESCRIPTION OF NATIVE DRESS AND MANNERS ARRIVE IN 

ENGLAND. 

At length they were permitted by the outward movement of the ice 
to pass into the straits and renew the effort to proceed farther west. But 
immense quantities of floating ice and the narrowness of the channel left 
open between the ice-floe and the island, made their progress slow and 
difficult. At i o'clock in the afternoon of the ist of August, 1820, 
they weighed anchor, and went hopefully on to contend with their 
old enemy, the floating ice. The channel was found open to within 
a mile or two, and at intervals somewhat more. In a few instances 
the ice had been driven so far south as to leave a short stretch of 
open water five miles wide, which was the utmost breadth they had 
found at any time on that coast. With the wind from the west- 
ward, and the ice-floe ever and anon driven more or less across 
this channel, their advance could not be rapid. On the 2d, the 
wind veering to the south, a heavy floe was driven clear to the coast 
ahead of the ships, which made it necessary to stop short and seek a tem- 
porary harbor. This they found in the shelter of some heavy shore ice, 
which protected them against the main body of the floating ice. Here 
the crews of both ships went ashore to collect sorrel, which was found 
to be too old to be of much value. They heard the growling of a soli- 
tary bear, being only the second that they had any knowledge of in those 
regions during a stay of over ten months. 

On the 4th, a mass of ice five miles long and one and a half 
wide was driven toward them by the wind, but was checked by 

188 



PARRY DECIDES TO SAIL EASTWARD. 189 

the shore ice, which was lodged outside of the ships, and soon 
after moved ofi again. Later on, the ice ahead also fell away from 
the shore, leaving them a narrow channel varying in width from a 
half mile to two, which they hastened to penetrate. The wind soon 
failed them, and though they could see a greater expanse of open water 
beyond, they were unable to reach it. On the 5th, the calm still contin- 
uing, they landed, and ascended a hill which they ascertained to be S47 
feet above the sea level, when a favorable wind arising, they hurried 
aboaixl and scudded to the west for two hours before an easterly breeze. 
Again the floe loomed to the west of them, closing in toward the land, 
and they had only time to seek refuge behind some grounded ice along- 
shore. Here they were detained by the ice and adverse winds until the 
23d. It was the most westerly point they reached, and its situation was 
ascertained to be in latitude 74 26' 25'', and longitude 113° 46' 43' '. 
In view of the difficulties that beset them, and shortness of the season 
for effort in those waters, the commander had alread}' determined on the 
1 6th, with the full concurrence of his officers, that the wisest course left 
was to sail to the east before it was too late. It was proposed to cross 
the channel to the north coast of America, if an opening could be found 
in the ice, in the hope that possibly in a more southern latitude they 
could yet proceed farther to the west than they had reached. To the 
land he had discovered on the 8th of August, lying to the westward, but 
which he could not reach, he gave the name of Banks' Land, in honor 
of Sir Joseph Banks, president for over forty years of the Royal Society, 
and a great patron of travelers and explorers. From time to time men- 
tion has been made of the active watchfulness of the commander in 
securing the health of his men as well as the safety of his ships. He had 
the gratification of now finding his officers and men substantially in as 
good health as when they had left London more than fifteen months 
before. They had secured in the twelve months 3,766 pounds of fresh 
meat — 3 musk-oxen, 34 deer, 68 hares, 53 geese, 59 ducks and 1 14 ptar- 
migans, and, as has been seen, they gathered anti-scorbutic plants whenever 
practicable. But the stock of remedies and preventives of the scurvy had 
been seriously diminished by a peculiar accident which befell their 



190 FULL RATIONS ORDERED. 

stores of lime-juice. In the early part of the winter it was found that 
over two-thirds of the stock had been lost by the bursting of the bottles, 
and the remainder had been rendered almost worthless by the frost. 
Where the juice had been frozen, only a small portion of concen- 
trated acid remaining in the center, and when thawed, the juice was but 
little better than water. 

As to the ships, in the last refuge sought, the Hecla got one serious 
nip from an ice floe forty-two feet thick, and the Griper had her stern 
thrown up two or three feet by a cake of ice forced in beneath her by 
the outer floe; but they were substantially as effective as when they left 
home. It was therefore wisely decided not to jeopardize the measure of 
success already obtained, and especially the freedom from disaster, by 
remaining another winter on that dreary coast, with only the prospect of 
a few weeks of uncertain effort and inadequate results, after ten months 
of weary waiting. 

Sailing east, they encountered the same difficulties as on the previous 
season, in getting into winter quarters; but by careful handling they made 
some headway, and on the 28th Were abreast of Cape Hearne, the west- 
ern headland of the Bay of the Hecla and Griper. In five hours they 
reached the opposite headland of Cape Bounty, and five hours later the 
channel was free of ice to the width of five miles from the land. On the 
evening of the 29th they were within four or five miles of where they 
had been at the same hour twelve months before, going west; and could 
not help reflecting on the vicissitudes they had since experienced. Passing 
Prince Regent Inlet, which they had explored the previous year, and find- 
ing no other entrance to a more southern latitude, the commander now 
definitely announced that they were bound for England, and placed the 
men on full rations. For eleven months they had been restricted to two- 
thirds of the regular allowance of the British navy, and had also been 
very sparing in the use of fuel, which contributed even more to their dis- 
comfort Both restrictions were now removed. They had searched in 
vain through twenty-four degrees of longitude, from 114 to 90 , for an 
opening through the ice and land to a more southern latitude, and Parry 
now concluded to proceed homeward to report results, and, if duly 



VISIT FROM ESQUIMAUX. 191 

authorized, to refit for another voyage. The month of .September, how- 
ever, they would devote on the way to a careful scrutiny of the western 
shore of Baffin's Bay, still in the hope of finding- an inlet that would lead 
in some future voyage, to a more practicable westward route than that 
they had been exploring. 

They left Possession Bay on the ist of September, resuming the use 
of the mariner's compass, which had been discontinued about twelve 
months before on account of its inactivity and sluggishness in the more 
northern regions they had traveled. On the 3d they passed some of the 
highest icebergs they had seen, being nearly two hundred feet above the 
surface of the water. The next day, having landed to make some ob- 
servations, they saw over sixty of those huge icebergs in the distance; 
and from the masthead far more welcome objects, the masts and rigging 
of the whalers. These proved to be British, and on the fifth they spoke 
another, whose captain gave them some news from England, the first 
they had received since their departure just sixteen months before. 

On the sixth, from the islands at the mouth of the River Clyde they 
were visited by four Esquimaux who approached the Hecla in their 
canoes without any sign of fear or hesitation. They expressed their 
astonishment at what they saw with loud ci'ies, accompanied by a sort 
of jumping pantomime which lasted about a minute. The ensuing day 
they were visited on shore by the commander and some of his officers, and 
were found to have their tents on the mainland, about forty or fifty feet' 
from the beach. These were their summer quarters, and their huts for 
winter residence were found farther up toward the head of the cove in 
a sheltered spot. These were in part excavated out of the side of the 
cliff, the remainder of each inclosure being constructed of stones after 
the usual manner. The tents are thus described by Parry : " They are 
principally supported by a long pole of whalebone fourteen feet high 5 
standing perpendicularly, with four or five feet of it projecting above the 
skins which form the roof and sides. The length of the tent is seven- 
teen, and its breadth from seven to nirfe feet, the narrowest part being 
next the door, and widening toward the inner part, where the bed, 
composed of a quantity of the small shrubby plant, the Andromeda 






IH Id 



iSffl- 




192 



PARRY'S EULOGY ON THE NATIVES. 193 

Tetragona [a species of heath plant], occupies about one-third of the 
whole apartment. The pole of the tent is fixed where the bed com- 
mences and the latter is kept separate by some pieces of bone laid across 
the tent from side to side. The door, which faces the southwest, is also 
formed of two pieces of bone, with the upper ends fastened together, 
and the skins are made to overlap in that part of the tent, which is much 
lower than the inner end. The covering is fastened to the ground by 
curved pieces of bone, being generally parts of the whale." These rude 
barbarians were found to be scrupulously honest, exhibiting not the 
slightest disposition to abstract anything surreptitiously, though opportu- 
nities were furnished them to make the attempt. They exchanged their 
wares to the best advantage, holding back for higher offers, but always 
yielding when they found they could not carry their customers farther. 
What presents were made them were received with pleasure and thank- 
fulness; but the)' could not be induced to drink rum, however much di- 
luted. Detecting it instantly by its smell, they respectfully but unhesitat- 
ingly declined to taste it. 

The oldest of the four men was over sixty, and being somewhat 
bent by age did not measure quite five feet in height, and the 
younger men from five feet four and a half to five feet six inches. 
The women were four feet ten and four feet eleven inches. The faces of 
both were round and plump in the younger individuals; skin smooth; 
complexion not very dark; teeth white; eyes small; nose broad, but not 
flat to deformity ; hair black, straight and glossy, and worn by the fe- 
males hanging loose over their shoulders. The youngest of the grown 
females evinced much timidity and natural bashfulness, and from this 
fact and the absence of tattooing which marked the other women, she 
was judged to be unmarried. The encampment consisted of eight adults 
— four men and four women — and some children. These, Parry says, 
" were generally good looking, and the eldest boy, about twelve years of 
age, was a remarkably fine and even handsome lad." Their means of 
subsistence were judged from their appearance and other indications, to 
be ample, and there was no evidence of disease or suffering. " Upon the 
whole," says the enthusiastic Parry, " these people may be considered in 
13 



194 ARRIVE IN LONDON. 

possession of every necessary of life, as well as of most of the com- 
forts and conveniences which can be enjoyed in so rude a state of society." 
Leaving their Esquimaux friends of the River Clyde, with whom in 
two days they had an intercourse on ship and shore of only seven hours, 
they made but slow progress until the 12th, when a favorable breeze 
springing up from the southwest, they advanced toward the ice. They 
were again caught in the 'floes, but got loose after the usual struggle. 
Four days later in a fog they made the ships fast to the floes and floated 
with them; and on the iSth, to an iceberg, when they were repeatedly 
struck by the loose ice, but suffered no serious damage, being strongly 
built. On the 24th they passed out of the Arctic Circle after having 
been within it almost fifteen months. All this time they were kept 
away from the western shore by the accumulation of ice on that side, and 
could seldom see, much less explore, the coast as they had proposed. 
Finally, on the 26th, finding all efforts at exploration in that quarter 
futile, the boats wei - e hauled on deck, and all sail made for home. On 
the 2d of October the ships parted company in a gale; and on the 16th, 
the Hecla lost her bowsprit, foremast and maintop-mast; but the wreck 
was soon cleared away, and by the 18th they had raised the necessary 
jury-masts. On the 29th they made Buchan Ness, on the northeast coast 
of Scotland, and on the 30th, the commander, accompanied by Captain 
Sabine, left Peterhead for London, where they arrived on the 3d of 
November, the Hecla and Griper reaching the Thames about two weeks 
later. Both ships and crew were but little the worse for their trip of 
eighteen months. This alone would have entitled the expedition to be 
regarded as a success, but was far from being the only claim it had to 
consideration. Great additions had been made to geographical knowl- 
edge"; Lancaster Sound had been explored; Prince Regent Inlet, Bar- 
row's Strait, and a number of islands, had been discovered; important 
meteorological and magnetic phenomena had been observed; and the im- 
practicability of the route through Lancaster Sound for everyday commer- 
cial voyages, at least, was amply demonstrated. For, though Parry 
thought he had reached the Arctic Ocean, and may be regarded as virtu- 
ally having done so, it was obvious that the passage could not be con- 



BASIS FOR ARCTIC SEARCH. 



195 



sidered a highway for ocean traffic, which was after all, the basis of the 
long-continued search for the Northwest Passage. He had gone far be- 
yond his predecessors, and, like Bylot and Baffin, with their humble 
equipment two hundred years before, had returned without serious injury 
to ships or crew; the death of the invalid Scott being fairly attributable 
to constitutional weakness rather than to any neglect, exposure or disease 
incident to the voyage. 




CHAPTER XXII. 

EARLY LIFE OF FRANKLIN WOUNDED AT NEW ORLEANS: — STATE- 
MENT OF THE OBJECTS OF FRANKLIN'S THREE VOYAGES 

EMBARKS ON FIRST VOYAGE THE FIRST ICEBERG INTEREST- 
ING EXPERIMENTS A LEAK IN THE SHIP TRADE WITH ESQUI- 
MAUX — ARRIVE AT FORT YORK MAKE READY FOR OVERLAND ' 

JOURNEY. 

It is doubtful whether, in the history of England, so proud of her 
titles, and of the pomp and magnificence which name and wealth can 
give, there can be found a more remarkable proof of the possibility of 
rising above adverse circumstances than is seen in the life of the personage 
whose achievements will occupy the next few chapters. Born in com- 
parative obscurity, and beginning life in the performance of its humbler 
duties, he rose to a place in the affections of his countrymen, of which 
any Englishman might well have been proud. He was born at Spilsby, 
Lincolnshire, April, 1786, and was intended by his father for the church, 
for whose duties he entered, at an early age, upon a preliminary course 
of studjf. While very young, however, he showed a decided taste for 
the sea; and his father, thinking that a \%yage or two would cure him of 
this untoward inclination, decided to let him go. His first voyage was 
on a merchant vessel bound to Lisbon. His return home found him so 
confirmed in his taste that he decided to follow the life of a sailor. 

At the age of fifteen, accordingly, he entered the Royal Navy, and 
sailed in 1S01, to Australia, with Capt. Flinders. From this point his 
life presents a constant succession of noble deeds and brilliant achieve- 
ments. He served with credit in the war with America, in 18 12, and 
was wounded in the fatal attack upon New Orleans, in January, 18 15. 
Having obtained the rank of Lieutenant, he was appointed commander 
of the Trent in the Arctic expedition, which sailed under Capt. Buchan 

196 



OBJECTS OF FRANKLIN'S VOYAGES. 197 

in 1818. After this he was successively raised to the rank of Captain, 
elected a member of the Royal Society, and finally knighted in view of 
valuable services rendered. He was twice married, the first time to Miss 
Eleanor Porden, in 1823, and the second time to Jane Griffin, in 1828, 
his former wife having died just as he was setting out on his second 
Arctic voyage. 

Franklin was the leader of three distinct voyages, which had for 
their object the acquiring of more perfect knowledge concerning Arctic 
ground. His first two voyages had for their particular object to deter- 
mine the latitude and longitude of the northern shore of North America, 
and the trending of that coast from the mouth of the Coppermine east-' 
ward, and eastward and westward from the mouth of the MacKenzie. 
His third and last voyage was fitted out for the purpose of discovering a 
Northwest Passage, which had been supposed, but not found to exist. 

The objects of the first voyage more minutely were to discover the 
latitude and longitude of particular places on the Arctic face of North 
America, and to determine the trending of that coast from the mouth of 
the Coppermine to the eastern extremity of the continent; to amend the 
very defective geography of this coast by particularly noting the location 
of all important rivers, harbors, and bays, contiguous to the coast; and 
to take such observations upon the plants, the air, and the animal life of 
the region as might be useful or convenient. The expedition was fitted 
out by the English government, and the full leadership intrusted to 
Franklin, whose able conduct proved the wisdom of the choice. Before 
sailing he availed himself of the advice and assistance of the directors of the 
Hudson Bay Company, Sir Alexander MacKenzie, a previous explorer 
of great success, and many others who could give him intelligent counsel 
and information. Franklin's success on this occasion was largely, no 
doubt, enhanced by his fortunate selection of assistants, among whom 
were Dr. Richardson and Mr. Back, themselves both navigators of ex- 
perience a*nd ability. To these, and others who accompanied him, he 
afterward acknowledged his obligation for their valuable assistance, and 
his satisfaction at being in company with men of so many manly 
qualities. 



198 CAUTION OF NORTHERN SAILORS. 

The whole party embarked at Gravesend, on Sunday, the 23d of 
May, 1S19. The Prince of Wales, which was to convey the outfit, 
belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company, and was accompanied by two 
others, the Eddystone and the Wear. As the wind was unfavorable, 
the vessels anchored at Yarmouth for several days. At this point Lieut. 
Back went on shore two or three miles from Yarmouth to attend to 
some matter of which his presence there reminded him, intending to be 
ready, by watching the signals, to return as soon as the vessels were 
ready to leave. The wind, however, suddenly changed soon after his 
departure, and the Captain, thinking it necessary to avail himself of the 
present fortune, accoi'dingly weighed anchor, and Mr. Back was left on 
shore. A note "was sent by a returning ship requesting Mr. Back to 
take the coach across to Pentland Frith ; from thence to cross to the Parish 
of Stromness on one of the Orkneys, and there rejoin the party. When 
the little fleet reached Stromness several days were spent in waiting for 
Mr. Back, affording, in the meantime, a good opportunity for testing the 
instruments, and also of hiring more men, which Franklin foresaw would 
be necessary to do. A notice to the effect that men were wanted was 
posted up on the church door at Stromness, this being certain to strike 
the attention of every person in the parish. To Franklin's surprise only 
four men were found in the whole parish who could be persuaded to 
accompany the expedition. Franklin's narrative says: 

"I was much amused with the extreme caution these men used before 
they would sign the agreement; they minutely scanned all our intentions, 
weighed every circumstance, looked narrowly into our plan of route, and 
still more circumspectly to the prospect of return. Such caution on the 
part of the northern mariners forms a singular contrast with the ready 
and thoughtless manner in which an English seaman enters upon any 
enterprise however hazardous, without inquiring or desiring to know 
where he is going, or what he is going to do." It was late in June before 
the fleet was really under way and had come out into the Atlantic. 

July seems to have been more favorable to their progress, as 
the twenty-fifth of that month found them at the entrance of Baffin's 
Bay. Here a whaling vessel was met whose master gave thrilling 



THE FIRST ICEBERG. 



accounts of the thickness and dangerous character of the ice encoun- 
tered in Davis' Strait and the upper bay this year, and of the loss of sev- 
eral vessels in the ice. Both passengers and crew now began to "watch 
nervously for signs of icebergs, often mistaking the clouds for mountains 
of ice, in their feverish curiosity. In a short time it became necessary to 
tack the ships in order to avoid a large mass; and on the fifth of August 




SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. 

a huge iceberg was sighted. Upon reaching it, several of the officers 
made an attempt to climb up its side, but were unsuccessful on account 
of its steepness and smoothness. The height of this berg was ascertained 
to be about 150 feet. It will be readily seen that as ice is nearly as 
heavy as water, only a very small portion of the actual bulk of the ice is 



200 A LEAK IN THE SHIP. 

seen above the water. Allowing one-eignth, as the portion of the bulk 
visible, and supposing the average height of this berg to be 125 feet, its 
whole vertical side must have been about 1,000 feet, or nearly one-fifth 
of a mile. The peculiar character of the atmosphere in these regions, 
however, is said greatly to magnify all physical appearances, and deceive 
the observer in regard to the size of objects. 

About this time some interesting experiments were also made 
respecting the temperature of water at different depths. A bottle well- 
corked, was fastened to the sounding-line, and was let down 450 
fathoms. The register thermometer was also fastened to the line 
and was supposed to descend a distance of 650 fathoms. The change in 
temperature indicated by the thermometer during its descent was from 
46 ° to 40.5 °, and it stood at the latter point when taken out of its tin 
case. The temperature of the water brought up in the bottle was 41 ° 
— being half a degree higher at 450 than at 650 fathoms; and 4 colder 
than the water at the surface which was 45 °, while the air was 46 °. 
This experiment in showing the water to be colder at a great depth than 
at the surface, and to fall in temperature in proportion to the descent, 
was in accordance with observations of certain other voyagers of those 
seas, but is stated by Franklin to disagree with his own previous experi- 
ments, in which he had always found the water at the surface colder than 
that at great depth. 

On the 7th of August the ship Prince of Wales struck violently on 
a reef near the coast of Greenland. The rudder was displaced, and there 
being now no way of guiding the ship, it seemed certain to founder. 
Recourse to the tow-boats was thought of, but these would be insignifi- 
cant among the great masses of ice, and the thought was abandoned. 
Moreover, the shock had produced a rent in the ship's bottom, and the 
water poured in at a great rate. Another shock, experienced soon after, 
fortunately restored the. rudder to its proper place, but its leak was still 
a great source of danger. To complete the distress of the now sinking 
ship, the gale just past had separated her from her associates, and even 
in case of the last extremity, no aid could be expected of them. The 
pumps were worked all the time without any apparent diminution of the 



BARTERING WITH ESQUIMAUX. 201 

water in the hold. Even the women on board, hound for the Hudson 
Bay colonies, assisted, and as Franklin afterward said, their example did 
much to stimulate the crew. At last, just as the strength and hope of 
all seemed about gone, a judicious use of oakum and canvas reduced the 
leak to such proportions that it could be easily controlled, and the Prince 
of Wales was enabled to rejoin her comrades in safety. 

On the 1 2th of August the ships landed on the coast of Greenland 
for the purpose of trading with the natives, or rather of allowing the 
natives to trade with them, which by signals they had shown they 
were anxious to do. The Esquimaux met them in their kayaks and 
accompanied them to the land. They at once evinced a desire to barter, 
and displayed no small cunning in making their bargains, taking care 
not to exhibit too many articles at once. Their principal commodities 
were oil, sea-horse teeth, whale bone, sealskin dresses, caps, and boots, 
deer skins and horns, and models of their canoes; and they received in 
exchange small saws, knives, nails, tin kettles, and needles. It is de- 
scribed as amusing to see the exultation and to hear the shouts and 
laughter of the whole party, when a trade was made by any one, and not 
a little ludicrous to witness the eagerness with which the fortunate per- 
son licked each article with his tongue on receiving it, as a finish to the 
bargain, and a sort of act of appropriation. In no case did they omit 
this practice, however small the article; the needles even, passed individ- 
ually through the ceremony. The women brought imitations of men, 
women and animals, carved carefully out of sea-horse teeth. The 
dresses and the figures of the animals were not badly executed, but there 
seemed to be no attempt at the delineation of countenances, and most of 
the figures were without eyes, ears, and fingers, to make which would 
probably have required more delicate instruments than any which they 
possessed. 

The men set most value on saws; Kutlen-Swa-bak — the name by 
which they distinguished them, being a constant cry. Knives were next 
in estimation. An old sword was traded from the Eddystone, and the 
burst of joy was universal when the happy man received it. 

Taking leave of their Mongolian friends, the vessels sailed away for 



202 rORK F ACTOR T. 

Hudson's Bay, for it was by this route that the party were to arrive upon 
the field of their investigations. At this time the great British fur com- 
panies were flourishing, and in the height of their prosperity. Trading- 
posts had been established all the way from Canada to the frozen lakes of 
the north, and it was along the line of these posts that the party hoped 
to find assistance to further the prosecution of their voyage. The prin- 
cipal companies were the Northwestern Company and the Hudson Bay 
Company, the previous kindness of whose agents has already been men- 
tioned. The most considerable depot of British trade was Fort York, 
or York Factoiy, as it was then called, situated on the Hayes River 
about five miles from its mouth. Remnants of the old fort still remain 
as a dim reminder of that primitive industry. 

To this point, then, the Prince of Wales, having parted company 
from the other ships, took her course, where a schooner was to be fur- 
nished to the expedition, and where Franklin hoped to obtain advice, in- 
structions, and a native interpreter. Having reached York Flats, where 
they were treated to the honor of a salute, the next step was to supply 
themselves for their northern tour. 

Failing to find any Esquimaux or Indian interpreters here, they were 
obliged to run the risk of having one sent to them, or of picking one up 
on the way. As no schooner was available, the best boat belonging to 
the Hudson Bay Company was fitted out for them, and duly supplied 
with the necessaries which the combined experience of all told them 
the occasion would require. 

The reader would not thank us to give the minute details of this 
journey, nor is it possible, within the intended scope of the present vol- 
ume, thus to enlarge upon unimportant experiences. Only the leading 
facts, therefore, and such of the salient features of the expedition as it is 
possible to give without the risk of being tedious, will be narrated. 

Hayes River was ascended to its source — the confluence of the Sham- 
matawa and Steel Rivers. The latter named stream and Hill River were 
next successively ascended. Owing to the rapidity of these streams it 
was necessary to walk upon the bank the most of the way, and haul the 
boat, with its load, up over the rushing current. At this rate their pro- 



A REMARKABLE ISLAND. 203 

gress was only ten or twelve miles a day, and even thus every man sank 
down exhausted at night. Many thrilling episodes might be related of 
this slow and tedious journey. At one time, on the bank of Hill River, 
Franklin was superintending the transportation of supplies over some 
rapids, when a stratum of loose rock gave way under his feet, and 
he had the misfortune to step from the summit where he was standing, 
into the river below two of the falls. His attempts to regain the bank 
were for a long time unavailing, and it seemed as if the expedition were 
fated to be deprived of its gallant leader. The rocks within his reach 
we're worn so smooth by the action of the water that, although he 
made desperate efforts to stay his downward course, it was impossible. 
Finally he grasped some willows, and was able to hold on until some 
gentlemen came to his rescue in a boat. It was a very narrow escape, 
and an experience which he did not care to repeat. 

We must not omit to mention briefly a small island noticed in one 
of these rivers, which is so strongly magnetic as to render a common 
compass entirely useless anywhere in the range of its influence. Having 
been previously informed of its existence, they watched their compasses 
carefully, and found that they were affected at the distance of three 
hundred yards, both on the approach to and departure from the center of 
the inlet. On decreasing the distance the instruments were rendered 
entirely powerless, and upon landing it was evident that the general 
magnetic influence was entirely overpowered by the action of the ore in 
the island. 





CHAPTER XXIII. 

FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO FT. CHIPEWYAN PROCURING GUIDES 

SPEECH OF AN INDIAN CHIEF THE RESOURCES OF THE PARTY 

- — START FOR THE COPPERMINE — THE CHIEF REFUSES TO PRO- 
CEED CANOE PARTY SENT TO THE COPPERMINE A PEDES- 
TRIAN TRIP RETURN OF BOTH PARTIES. 

Swampy Lake, Jack River — all the chain of rivers and lakelets up 
as far as Ft. Chipewyan, were slowly and with difficulty ascended. Some 
terrible hardships were experienced. It was necessary, for a considerable 
portion of the distance, to drag the boats and canoes, and to carry by 
land this bulk of supplies over the "-portages," or places where the 
rapids were too extensive to permit of navigation. Those who took 
upon themselves the difficult task of supplying fresh provisions from the 
settlements, traveled thousands of miles back and forth, amid frightful 
dangers from threatening famine, from unfriendly natives, arid from the 
unfamiliarity of the way. The miseries endured during the first journey 
of this kind are said to be so great that nothing could induce the sufferer 
to undertake a second while under the influence of present pain. He 
feels his frame crushed by unaccountable pressure; he drags a galling 
and stubborn weight at his feet, and his track is marked with blood. 
The dazzling scene affords him no rest to his eye — no object to divert 
his attention from his own agonizing sensations. When he arises from 
sleep half his body seems dead, till quickened into feeling by the irritation 
of his sores. But, fortunately for him, no evil makes an impression so 
evanescent as pain. He soon forgets his sufferings when once removed 
from them, and at each future journey their recurrence seems to be 
attended with diminished acuteness. 

The arrival at Ft. Chipewyan, however, was but the beginning of ad- 
ventures and hardships. The plan was now to journey northward to 

204 



SPEECH OF AN INDIAN CHIEF. 205 

Ft. Providence on Great Slave Lake; to build a large canoe, suitable 
for traversing the northern rivers; to engage Indian guides, and if 
possible, Esquimaux interpreters; to proceed to the mouth of the Copper- 
mine, and from that point to address themselves to the particular service 
for which the expedition was planned, viz., the exploring of the Ameri- 
can coast on the north, and the systematic arrangement of the knowl- 
edge thus o-ained. i 
Their principal canoe, when completed, was thirty-four feet long, four 
feet wide in the middle, and about two feet deep. It was capable of 
carrying about a ton and a half, including the weight of the five or six 
men necessary to man it. Besides this there were other and smaller ca- 
noes, fitted for the more rapid and easy conveyance of the officers and 
guides. The agents of both companies, in the meantime, did the party 
the greatest courtesy possible — furnishing them all the necessaries they 
could possibly spare, and showing a disposition to aid them in every 
way in their power. Particularly was the agent of the Northwestern 
Company useful to them in the matter of procuring guides from among 
the Chipewyan Indians. This was of necessity a matter requirin°- 
the utmost caution. It was necessary to take every possible measure 
to gain the confidence of the Indians, not only for the sake of getting 
out of them all the aid and information possible, but also for the sake 
of safety; for among the northern tribes of American Indians the least 
departure from truth or supposed consistency is esteemed a positive 
hreach of faith, and is never forgotten. On the occasion of engagin°- 
guides at this time, the chief of the party interviewed advanced with 
the utmost gravity and began his harangue, which Franklin understood 
had been several days in preparing. This chief proved to be a shrewd, 
penetrating man, and left a favorable impression upon the minds of the 
party as to his intellectual qualities. He began by stating that he was 
glad so powerful a chief from among the pale-faces had come among 
them, and assured him that the Indians loved those whose purpose it was 
to assist them. He said that when the party first arrived he was greatly 
disappointed; for he had heard there was among them a mighty medi- 
cine man who possessed the power of restoring to life the dead and de- 



206 COMPACT BETWEEN WHITES AND INDIANS. 

parted ; and he had felt so great delight in the prospect of meeting 
with his friends, that his sorrow in finding himself mistaken could not 
be described. He was l'eady, however, to assist the new comers in 
whatever reasonable enterprise they might engage. He closed his 
speech by demanding to know minutely the object of the adventurers, 
and their plans for the future. 

In his reply Franklin took pains to assure him that their purpose was 
nothing but good ; that they saw the difficulty under which their red 
brethren labored, and that he hoped by becoming more familiar with 
the coast and the wilds of the north, to be able to relieve not only their 
embarrassments but those of all the inhabitants. He informed them that 
he came from the greatest chief in the world, who was also the sover- 
eign of the companies with whom they were in the habit of trading. He 
further warned them of the folly of making war with the Esquimaux, 
and promised them, in case of faithful service, a reward of cloth, beads, 
and useful implements of iron. 

The chief admitted that his tribe had made war upon the Esqui- 
maux, but promised to desist; recommending, however, that their ad- 
vances toward them should be conducted with the utmost caution ; and 
signified at last their willingness to accompany the party and co-oper- 
ate with them in every particular. 

An agreement having thus been arrived at with the Indians, the 
expedition at once prepared to set out. The Indians were sent out 
ahead, and were to encamp upon the Yellow Knife, a small stream 
whose ascent lay in their way; while the residue of the party were to 
pack the provisions and supplies. This process could not be gone 
through with in the presence of the Indians, as they were in the habit of 
continually begging for everything they saw. The store consisted of 
two barrels of gunpowder, one hundred and forty pounds of ball and small 
shot, four fowling pieces, a few old trading guns, eight pistols, twenty- 
four Indian daggers, some packages of knives, chisels, axes, nails, and 
fastenings for a boat, a few yards of cloth, some blankets, needles, look- 
ing-glasses, and beads; together with nine fishing-nets of different sizes. 
The provisions included two casks of flour, two hundred dried reindeer 



ASCENT OF THE TELLOW KNIFE. 207 

tongues, some dried moose meat, portable soup, and arrow-root sufficient 
in the whole for ten days' consumption, besides two cases of chocolate, 
and two canisters of tea. The party now consisted of twenty-eight per- 
sons, including the wives of three of the Canadian voyagers who had 
been engaged at Ft. York. It had been decided best to take the women, 
as they might be useful in the making of shoes and clothing, in car- 
ing for the sick, and in many other ways. 

Over a year had now been consumed in reaching their present posi- 
tion. On the 2d of August, 1820, the whole party, including the In- 
dians, began the ascent of the Yellow Knife. The prospect of reaching 
the Coppermine that season, and of exploring a portion of country hith- 
erto untrod by white men, was a source of the greatest elation to the 
party, and the start was made in high spirits. The character of the rivers, 
whose course it was necessary for them to traverse, was such that fre- 
quent portages, or transporting of the boats and lading above the rapids 
by land, was the Only method of procedure. Great care was taken from 
time to time to replenish their stock of provisions so far as possible, from 
the lakes, and by means of the rifles of the hunters. In spite of this, 
however, the journey, made longer by the necessarily slow progress, be- 
came so tiresome, that the party suffered much from fatigue and lack of 
food. They were at last reduced to such straits that the Canadian voy- 
agers absolutely refused to go farther, unless more food were at once is- 
sued to them. Franklin took occasion here to warn them that in case 
any of them should desert or refuse to accompany the expedition, he 
would certainly cause severe punishment to be inflicted upon them ; and 
gave them a thorough admonition not to further hinder the progress of 
the party. This discussion had the desired effect, and thereafter the 
Canadians were models of endurance and faithfulness. The hunters, in 
the meantime, became more successful ; fish was more abundant; and the 
spirits of the party being raised by the prospect of plenty of food, some 
distance was completed in the most cheerful manner possible. 

But a new difficulty arose which effectually thwarted the purpose of 
the leader to approach the seaboard this season. On the 25th of August, 
the party having advanced some five hundred miles from Ft. Chipewyan, 



208 THE CHIEF REFUSES TO GO FURTHER. 

and being still some distance from the Coppermine, slight evidences of 
winter began to appear. The little pools of water by the river side were 
frozen over and the vegetation showed signs of having been affected by 
the frost. These signs soon passed away with the rising of the sun, and 
would have been forgotten, had not the Indian chief abruptly declared 
that he and his hunters would go no further. He said that it would be 
a useless sacrifice of life to attempt to go so far north in the winter 
months; that geese had been seen flying south, and that winter would 
speedily be upon them. Franklin replied to this that he had instruments 
which told the state of the air, and by which they could predict the 
weather beforehand; and that he was not inclined to believe the winter 
to be so near at hand as the chief apprehended. He also told him that 
they should at least reach the river, in order to take observations as to 
its size, depth, and the character and quantity of timber upon its banks. 
He informed the chief, moreover, that an eclipse was soon to take place, 
and that it could be much more favorably witnessed from the latitude of 
the Coppermine. These remarks, however, had no effect upon the chief, 
who continued : " If after all that I have said you are determined to 
sacrifice your life and the lives of your crew, some of my young men 
shall go with you; for it shall not be said that we led you hither and 
left you to perish alone. But if they go, I and my friends will from the 
day they depart mourn them as dead." Finding the chief still averse to 
going on, and fearing a rupture with the Indians, which would be disas- 
trous to them in their great need of guidance, Franklin determined re- 
luctantly to encamp there for the winter. This arrangement completely 
satisfied the chief, who now renewed his professions of loyalty to the 
expedition. 

After a consultation with the officers it was decided to send a party 
to the Coppermine, to ascertain its distance and size. When this plan 
was communicated to the chief he readily concurred, and offered to send 
some of his hunters to procure food for them. Mr. Back and Mr. 
Hood, who have already been mentioned in the narrative, were chosen to 
take charge of the party. An Esquimaux interpreter having been in the 
meantime secured, he, with one Indian as guide, and eight Canadian voy- 





FORT ENTERPRISE. 



209 



210 A PEDESTRIAN TRIP TO THE COPPERMINE. 

agers, constituted their attendance ; fitted up with canoes, and furnished 
in the most comfortable manner possible under the circumstances, they 
set out toward the last of August. Franklin's regard for his men, and his 
wisdom in planning, are alike seen in his instructions to the party. They 
were to proceed as far as the Coppermine, and if the weather was not 
too threatening, to embark upon it and descend it for some distance, the 
object being to gain more definite knowledge of its rapidity and the best 
method of navigating it. In no case, however, were they to go so far as 
not to be able in a short time to return; and if the water proved as cold 
as 40 they were to return at once, as it was feared that the canoes might 
be frozen in, thus compelling them to return a long distance on foot. 

The portion of the party that remained immediately prepared to es- 
tablish permanent winter quarters at the spot where they were en- 
camped. Huts were made, which in addition to the tents, were to serve 
as shelter. The flesh and skins of animals were gathered to serve as 
food and clothing which the Canadian women were busy in preparing; 
and the barren, deserted plain presented, this winter at least, the appear- 
ance of a bustling, thriving village. Here, in the reach of hostile natives, 
and greeted nightly by the howling of wild beasts, in a latitude 20 
north of where they were accustomed to spend the winter, these hardy 
men made ready to endure six months of the northern blast. This spot 
was fitly termed Ft. Enterprise. 

Shortly after the party above referred to had been dispatched, Frank- 
lin and Dr. Richardson decided to take a pedestrian trip to the nearest 
point of the Coppermine. They started off on this daring project accom- 
panied by three attendants, carrying camp kettles and provisions. Their 
guides led them from the top of one hill to the top of another in as di- 
rect a course as the numerous lakes with which the country is inter? 
spersed, would permit. At noon of the first day a remarkable rock with 
precipitous sides was reached, named by the Indians Dog-rib Rock, from 
a ferocious tribe of Indians who inhabit the north and west. The lati- 
tude of this place was observed to be 64 ° 34'. They were now trav- 
eling through a country almost destitute of vegetation or animal life. 
One of the guides killed a reindeer, and offered the rest of the party, as 



REPORT OF BACK AND HOOD. 211 

a great treat, the raw marrow from the hind legs of the animal, of which 
all but Franklin partook. He, too, however, afterward conquered his 
fastidious appetite and pronounced it delicious. 

The small quantity of bedclothing brought with them, induced most 
of the party to sleep without undressing. Old Kes Karrah, the Indian 
guide, followed a different plan. He stripped himself to the skin, and 
having toasted himself over the embers of the fire for a short time, crept 
under his deerskin and rags, previously spread out, and coiled himself up 
in a circular form, and was sound asleep almost instantly. So the journey 
to the Coppermine continued, the travelers sometimes lying, and some- 
times sitting down to sleep at night, according to the accommodations 
which the rough ground afforded. The fall of snow was almost constant; 
and, hindered and perplexed by this, and by sprained and swollen ankles, 
the little band were well nigh exhausted when at last they arrived once 
more at Ft. Enterprise. They had walked about 150 miles. 

Upon their arrival at the winter quarters they found that the party, 
headed by Back and Hood, had preceded them by several days. This 
party had reached the shores of Point Lake, through which the Copper- 
mine River flows, on the first of September. They proceeded along its 
shores westward, round a mountainous promontory, and perceiving the 
course of the lake to be northwest, they encamped near some pines, and 
enjoyed their first good fire since they left. 

The principal object of their investigation, now, was to discover 
whether any arm of the lake branched nearer the fort than that upon 
which they had fallen, to which the transport of their goods might be 
made the following spring. Having satisfied themselves by the appear- 
ance of the mountains that further examination on the west was need- 
less, they then proceeded eastward until the 6th. Not finding any part of 
the lake nearer, they encamped to observe the eclipse which was to occur 
on that day, but a violent snowstorm obscuring that jDhenomenon, they 
retraced their steps toward the fort, where they arrived the day after 
the other party had set out. 

Thus closed the voyages of 1S20, the expedition having traveled 
fifteen hundred and twenty miles, since leaving Ft. York in Sept., 1S19. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

JOURNEY TO THE COPPERMINE VISIT TO THE COPPER MOUNTAINS 

CURIOUS ADVENTURE OF DR. RICHARDSON EMBARKING ON THE 

POLAR OCEAN PT. TURN AGAIN THE RETURN TERRIBLE SUF- 
FERINGS OF THE PARTY DR. RICHARDSON RISKS HIS LIFE TO 

SAVE THE PARTY ARRIVAL AT FT. ENTERPRISE. 

In the summer of 1(821 the party again set out for the Coppermine, 
•which was reached, without accident or adventure of note, in the latter 
part of June. The time had now come when they -were to realize the 
fulfillment of their cherished project, and they soon embarked upon the 
river and were on their way to the Polar Ocean. During the journey 
down the Coppermine the Indians were invaluable in procuring food for 
the party, by their skill in hunting. For this service they consented to 
take notes on the Northwestern Company, payable at Ft. Chipewyan, 
an order having also been drawn for a small amount of clothing as an 
additional present. This method of reimbursing them was resorted to 
because those articles with which they were accustomed to be paid were 
growing scanty, and it was desired to retain them for trade with the 
Esquimaux. 

As the party descended, the river gradually became contracted be- 
tween lofty banks to about one hundred and twenty yards in width, and 
the current became rapid in proportion to the narrowness of the stream. 
About the middle of July they arrived at some rapids "which had been 
the theme of discourse among the Indians for several days previous, and 
which had been declared by them to be impassable for canoes. The 
river here -was found to descend for three-quarters of a mile in a deep but 
narrow and crowded channel, which it had cut through the foot of a hill 
five or six hundred feet in height. It is confined between perpendicular 

cliffs, resembling artificial stone walls, varying in height from eighty to 

212 




IV A/OLL/DCE . 



dr. Richardson's adventure with wolves. 



213 



214 ADVENTURE OF DR. RICHARDSON. 

one hundred feet, on which lies a mass of fine sand. The body of the 
river pent up within this narrow chasm, dashed furiously around the pro- 
jecting rocky columns, and discharged itself at the northern extremity in 
a sheet of foam. It is probable that the Indians in reality knew little of 
these rapids; for the canoes when lightened of their burden ran through 
this defile without sustaining any injury. 

In the course of the descent a visit was made to the Copper Moun- 
tains. To these hills the Copper Indians, and, it was reported, the Es- 
quimaux also, were accustomed to come and search for this metal, of 
which, when found in a free state, they could make vai"ious useful arti- 
cles. But the impracticability of navigating this river from its source, 
and the absence of material for making and operating a smelter, proved 
to Franklin and his men that any considerable mercantile speculation in 
this enterprise was impossible. 

As the Esquimaux country was approached, the expedition advanced 
with great caution, to prevent any serious collision of the red men with 
their Mongolian neighbors. Constant watches were kept day and night, 
and the officers cheerfully took their turns with the rest in this duty. It 
was on one of these occasions that Dr. Richardson, the surgeon of the 
party, met with the following curious adventure: " One night, while on 
the first watch, he had seated himself on a hill overhanging the river; 
his thoughts were possibly occupied with far distant scenes, when he was 
aroused by an indistinct noise behind him, and, on looking round, saw 
that nine white wolves had arranged themselves in the form of a crescent 
round him, and were advancing apparently with the intention of driving 
him into the river. He had his gun in his hand, but did not dare fire for 
fear of alarming any Esquimaux who might be in the neighborhood. 
Upon his rising they halted, and when he advanced toward them in a 
menacing manner, they at once made way for his passage down to the 
tents." 

Having reached the mouth of the Coppermine, the journey of explor- 
ation eastward, and the final return to the west and south, was one 
almost unbroken series of terrible sufferings, hardships, and privations. 
On the 2 ist of July, with only fifteen days' provisions on board, they 



POINT TURNAGAIN. 215 

embarked upon the open sea, intending, if possible, to reach Repulse 
Bay, a distance of some six or seven hundred miles to the east. But they 
encountered frightful storms. Their boats were badly shattered, and 
their provisions, to which they had been unable to add any amount, 
were almost gone. The crew complained bitterly, and it would seem 
that the climax of discouragement had been reached when their best 
boat sank; the crew, and what scanty supplies they had, narrowly escap- 
ing destruction. Accordingly, when they reached a place, now perti- 
nently called " Point Turnagain," it was decided to steer westward at 
once, to Arctic Sound, and by ascending Hood's River, to gain once 
more the interior. Thence they sought to reach Point Lake and Ft. 
Enterprise, their previous winter quarters. The prospect was discourag- 
ing in the. extreme, for winter seemed to be already setting in. The 
hunters found no game, and their stock of pemmican was exceedingly 
limited. In spite of the threatening weather, their dilapidated canoes 
and exhausted larder, they managed to push on till at last they entered 
Hood's River. 

The Canadians could not restrain their joy at having turned their 
backs on the sea, and they spent the first evening in talking over their 
past adventures with much humor and no little exaggeration. They had 
displayed great courage in encountering the dangers of the sea, magni- 
fied to them by their novelty. The poor Frenchmen, no doubt, found a 
distressing difference between the frozen plains of the North, and the 
vineyards of their "Sunny France," which some of them, perhaps, 
remembered. 

After remodeling two canoes from the remains of the old ones, which 
had been rendered almost useless, they proceeded on foot from near the 
mouth of Hood's River toward Point Lake, 150 miles distant, and as will 
be remembered, in the neighborhood of Ft. Enterprise. It is impossible 
to describe the sufferings of the exhausted crew from this point. They 
had scarcely set out when a bewildering snowstorm arose which so em- 
barrassed their progress that they were obliged to encamp for several 
days. When at last the storm abated, and they attempted to advance, 
Franklin fainted from hunger and sudden exposure. He soon revived, 



210 A USELESS TRANSPORT. 

however, by taking a small quantity of portable soup, pressed upon him 
by the kindness of the men. So, with their wet garments freezing to 
their backs, and limbs tottering from sheer exhaustion, they went mis- 
erably on. The men who carried the canoes were often blown 
over, and at one of these times the best canoe was broken in pieces. 
This was soon utilized by making a fire of it to cook the little remaining 
soup and arrow root. The only source of subsistence left them was the 
tripe-de-roche^ a species of lichen which grows upon the rocks or frozen 
earth. This, although it served to keep life in them, was debilitating 
and unwholesome. An incident occurred at this time which shows that 
even in circumstances as trying as those which we have described, the 
utmost generosity and disinterestedness may be shown. One day, as the 
officers stood shivering around a small fire, and suffering intensely from 
the pangs of hunger, Perrault, a Canadian, produced a small amount of 
meat which he had saved from his own allowance, and j^resented each 
of them with a piece of pemmican. " It was received," says Franklin, 
"with great thankfulness, and such an instance of self-denial and kind- 
ness filled our eyes with tears." 

At length they reached a branch of the Coppermine, of such great 
width and rapidity that it could not be crossed as readily as the smaller 
streams which they had been in the habit of fording daily. A raft had to 
be made, whose construction, in their present weakened state, occupied 
several days. What was their disappointment and chagrin to find that 
their new transport was useless; thev could not get it across the river. 
Another exhibition of self-sacrifice was then made. Dr. Richardson 
volunteered to make the attempt to swim across the river, carrying with 
him a line, by which the raft could be drawn across. 

He launched into the stream with the line around his waist; but when 
he had got within a short distance of the opposite bank, his arms became 
numbed with cold, and he lost the power of moving them. Still he per- 
severed, and, turning on his back, had nearly gained the opposite shore, 
when his legs, too, became powerless, and to the infinite alarm of his 
comrades on shore, he began to sink. They instantly hauled upon the 
line and he came upon the surface, and was gradually drawn ashore in 




PERRAULT DIVIDING HIS STORE. 



217 



218 MURDER OF HOOD. 

an almost lifeless state. Being rolled up in blankets, he was placed be- 
fore a good fire of willows, and fortunately was just able to speak 
enough to give some slight directions respecting the manner of treating 
him. He recovered strength after a time, and in the evening was able 
to be removed to his tent. It was then found that his whole left side 
was deprived of feeling, in consequence of sudden exposure to too great 
heat. He did not recover from this until the following summer. What 
all felt, upon seeing the skeleton shown by the doctor when he stripped, 
cannot be told in words. His condition, as well as that of the rest, may 
be best explained by an extract from his own journal: 

" It may be worthy of remark, that I should have had little hesitation 
in any former period of my life at plunging into water, — even below 3S 
Fahrenheit; but at this time I was reduced almost to a skeleton, and like 
the rest of the party, suffered from degrees of cold that would have been 
disregarded in health and vigor. During the whole of our march, we 
experienced that no quantity of clothing would keep us warm while we 
fasted ; but on those occasions on which we were enabled to go to bed 
with full stomachs, we passed the night in a warm and comfortable 
manner." 

The river was at last crossed, but a great depression of spirits existed 
in the case of every one. Hood, Richardson, and Back, were all lame 
and weak. The voyageurs were somewhat more vigorous, but did not 
hope to come out of the wilderness alive. Finally, Franklin and eight 
men decided to push on toward Ft. Enterprise. Three of these died 
almost at once. Franklin succeeded in reaching the house, but found 
neither occupants nor provisions. In eighteen days Back and Dr. Rich- 
ardson came up. Hood had set out with a party of three Canadians and 
one Indian. A short time after his body was found with evidences that 
he had been murdered. The three Canadians were never seen again. 
As Michel, the Indian guide, remained strong and vigorous, it was 
thought he had murdered the rest of the party and feasted upon their 
bodies. As soon as this suspicion was confirmed he was promptly shot 
by Dr. Richardson. A partridge, killed by Hepburn, was all the meat 
that the party last arriving at the Fort had tasted for six weeks. Parts 



RETURN TO ENGLAND. 



219 



of their boots and clothing had been consumed during the march, and 
soup made out of old bones and skin was considered a luxury. 

Help and supplies at last arrived, but not until several more of the 
unfortunate party had perished. The hardships of the survivors, how- 
ever, were now over. Communication could now be had with the posts 
of the fur companies, and the persons employed at these points were con- 
strained to the greatest kindness possible when they saw the pitiahle 
condition of the unfortunate crew. The Canadians were sent home 
at once, being paid in orders upon the Hudson's Bay Company. 
The officers of the party were obliged to remain some time at one of the 
forts before they were able to travel far. Their feet and limbs were 
swollen, digestion and assimilation were impaired, and racking rheuma- 
tism was common from, the severe and prolonged exposure. Through 
the kindness of the company's agents, their health was at last restored, 
and they proceeded to England, where they arrived safely in the sum- 
mer of 1822 — with the exception of the gallant Hood, whose fate we 
have related ahove. 

Thus terminated Franklin's first voyage, being as far as possible a 
faithful execution of the plan, as it has already been communicated to 
the reader. 

An account of the next voyage of this gallant explorer will be given 
in a following chapter. 




CHAPTER XXV. 

RUSSIAN ARCTIC VOYAGES LAPTEW BROTHERS FAILURE OF SCHA- 

LAROW REMAINS OF MAMMOTH ARCTIC VOYAGES OF BILLINGS 

— -PLUNDERED BY NATIVES FREQUENCY OF ANIMAL REMAINS 

KOTZEBUE's VOYAGE UNWELCOME HOSPITALITY A UNIQUE 

ISLAND. 

Our last reference to Russian Arctic exploration was an account of 
the final voyage of Behring in 1 741 . But little was afterward done by 
the Russians in the way of organized effort in this direction, until the 
period at which we have now arrived. The whole of the Arctic coast of 
Russia, including Siberia, had, however, been discovered piecemeal by 
fur traders and adventurers. "These skins," says a Russian writer, 
"were the golden fleece of those days and of those regions, and tempted 
not only Cossacks and fur-hunters to brave the severest hardships, but 
even induced persons of much higher rank to leave their families and 
abandon the conveniences of life, in order to plunge into the fearful and 
unknown wildernesses of Siberia in the hope of enriching themselves by 
this trade. It is to the credit of the national character, however, that 
their desire of gain never drove them to the atrocities of which the gold- 
seeking conquerors of Mexico and Peru were guilty." 

Thus gradually had been explored two-fifths of the whole Arctic 
coast, from the White Sea to Behring's Strait. Piece by piece, too, 
had a great portion, if not all of it, been surveyed by orders of the gov- 
ernment; and much valuable information in relation to the country and its 
various aboriginal tribes had been gleaned and collected through officials 
and private adventurers. At the very date of Behring's voyage, the 
brothers Laptew were winning distinction as explorers in those regions. 
Lieutenant Charlton Laptew, in May, 1741, sailed down the Taimur 
River to its mouth, which he ascertained to be in latitude 75 36'. He 

220 



FAILURE OF SCHALAROW. 221 

had been engaged since 1739 in exploring the coast west of the Lena, 
having been appointed to succeed Prontschischtschew, who had tried in 
vain to double the icy cape of Taimur Peninsula, and had been employed 
in exploring those inhospitable shores since 1734. Dimitri Laptew had 
been similarly engaged farther to the east since 1736. Having doubled 
the Sviatoi Noss of Siberia, he spent his first winter on the Indigirka 
River, about ten degrees farther east, and in latitude 71 °. Proceeding 
thence he examined and surveved the coast and the Bear Islands, winter- 
ing on the Kolyma River. 

He had been preceded in those regions by Paulusky, in 1 73 1 . For 
two successive seasons Laptew now labored in vain to double Baranow 
Rocks, and returned at length to Iakoutsk in 1743, after a sojourn of 
seven 3'ears on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. In 1758 Schalarow, a 
merchant of Iakoutsk, sailed from the Yana River, in a vessel built at 
his own expense, and succeeded in doubling the Baranow Rocks, but 
failed to make Cape Schelagskoi. Again he tried and again was driven 
back from that icy goal of his ambition; and the third time, in 1760, 
his crew refused to support him. In 1763 Sergeant Andrejew, a Cos- 
sack, who had been on the Indigirka and the Bear Islands, reported 
that he had discovered, thirty miles north of the mouth of the Krestovoi, 
in the estuary of the Kolyma, a group of inhabited islands, with the re- 
mains of a fort, and traces of a large population at some previous time. 
In 1764 Schalarow started anew to solve his pei"sonal problem of doub- 
ling Cape Schelagskoi, but did not return. "His unfortunate death (from 
starvation it is said) is the more to be lamented," says Wrangell, "as 
he sacrificed his property and life to a disinterested aim, and united intel- 
ligence and energy in a remarkable degree." The same year Admiral 
Tschitschagow failed in his effort to sail around the Spitzbergen group. 
In 1767 Leontjew, Lyssow, and Pushkarow surveyed the coast near 
the Kolyma. 

Meanwhile, on the Kamchatka side, the fur-traders in quest of prod- 
ucts for their profitable commerce with China and Japan, had gradu- 
ally discovered the islands of the North Pacific; Norvodiskow, the 
West Aleutian, in 1745; Paikow, the Fox, in 1759; Tolstych, the cen- 



222 V OT AGES OF BILLINGS. 

tral group called by his name, in 1760; Glottow, Kadiak, in 1763; and 
Kreinitzin, Aliaska Peninsula, in 1768. In 177° a merchant named 
Lachow or Liakov, while gathering a cargo of fossil ivory about Svia- 
toi Noss, saw a herd of reindeer making for the Siberian coast from the 
north, and rightly judged they must have come from land. Proceeding 
in his sledge over the ice, guided by their tracks, he discovered at a 
distance of forty miles from the cape he had left, an island, and twelve 
miles farther a second, both wonderfully rich in mammoth teeth. Duly 
reporting to the government and securing from it the exclusive privilege 
to dig for mammoth bones in the islands he had found, Lachow re- 
turned, in 1773' an< ^ na cl the good fortune to discover the largest of the 
three which still bear his name. "The whole soil of the first of these 
islands," says Saunikow, "appears to consist of these remains." 

BILLINGS' ARCTIC VOYAGES. 

The great Empress of Russia, Catharine II., in her numerous projects 
for the promotion of commerce, with the comprehensive sagacity for 
which she was distinguished, could not fail to recognize the value of ex- 
ploration, especially within what she regarded as her empire. In fur- 
therance of her design, Joseph Billings, who had been with Cook in his 
last voyage, was induced to enter the Russian naval service, and in 1787 
was intrusted with an expedition for the examination of the north coast 
of Siberia from the Kolyma River to Behring's Straits. Captain Saryt- 
chew, a Russian, was placed in subordinate command of one of the two 
vessels constituting the expedition. They sailed down the Kolyma on 
the opening of navigation, and were much harassed by ice and overflow, 
which drove them sometimes into the inundated bottom-lands. Reach- 
ing the ocean they pushed to the east, getting, however, to only a few 
leagues beyond Baranow Rocks. The Russian captain volunteered to 
proceed further by boat, but Billings deemed the project unfeasible be- 
cause of the ice, and returned to Iakoutsk, leaving his vessels aground 
in the Kolyma. He was, however, intrusted with a second expedition 
to explore the islands of the North Pacific, two vessels being built for 
that purpose at Okhotsk. In June, 1790, Billings visited the Aleutian 



DESCRIPTION OF NATIVES. 223 

Islands., where he found the natives so cruelly treated by the Russian and 
Cossack fur-traders, that he felt compelled to make an energetic re- 
monstrance to the home government. Despite his efforts and those of 
the central authority, the local oppression continued without serious 
abatement, and there, as elsewhere, the aborigines have been almost to- 
tally extinguished by overwork and virtual slavery to the whites. From 
the Bay of Saint Lawrence, Billings proceeded overland on the 13th of 
August to explore and survey the Tchuktchi Peninsula. His efforts 
were weak and fruitless; his journeys short, and stoppages frequent; and 
he won no favor with the natives. Jealous of the Russian surveyors' 
chains, which they considered typical of the chains of slavery, they did 
not hesitate to wrest them from their unwelcome visitors, whom they 
would not suffer to write any notes or observations as far as they could 
prevent, so that the exploration proved abortive. Sauer, the historian of 
the expedition, relates a few incidents: "We passed three villages, and 
halted at a fourth for the night. The huts were dug under ground, 
covered with earth, of a square form, with a fireplace in the middle, 
and four large stones made the hearth. We were obliged to treat with 
them for water, and for fuel to boil our food, and to pay for it imme- 
diately. Observing our good nature and want of power, they took a 
liking to the buttons on our coats, and cut them off without ceremony. 
The men were tall and stout, and the warrior had his legs and arms 
punctured. The women were well made, and above the middle size; 
healthy in their appearance; and by no means disagreeable in their per- 
sons; their dress was a doe's skin, with the hair on, and one garment 
covered their limbs and the whole body. They wore their hair parted, 
and in two plaits, one hanging over each shoulder, their arms and face 
being neatly punctured." Captain Billings was still in Iakoutsk in 1793, 
but his explorations by land or sea did not add much to the volume of 
geographical information, and his chief merit lies in his humane effort to 
ameliorate the unhappy condition of the oppressed natives in the Aleu- 
tian Islands. 

The group of islands known as the Archipelago of New Siberia, 
was discovered by Sirawatsky in 1S06, and explored by Hedenstrom in 




224 



A MAMMOTH. 225 

1S09. They lie almost due north from Yana Bay, east of the delta of 
the Lena, between latitude 73° and 76 , and longitude 135 to 150 . 
They are generally rocky, and are covered all the year round with snow, 
without bush or tree anywhere. They are uninhabited, but with traces 
of former population, as well as of large trees and fossilized charcoal. 

Their chief importance now is due to the immense quantities of fossil 
ivory, or bones of the mammoth, which are found embedded in the soil. 
According to Hedenstrom's account, the tusks are smaller and lighter, 
but at the same time more numerous toward the north of the islands, 
and often weigh only three or four poods — 10S to 144 pounds — while on 
the main land of Siberia, it is said, there have been found tusks which 
weighed twelve poods, or 432 pounds avoirdupois! To this larger 
growth must have belonged the mammoth discovered in 1799, by 
Schumachow, one of the Tungusian nomads, while searching for fossil 
ivory near Lake Ancoul. In 1803 the ice in which it had been enveloped 
having gradually melted away, this huge carcass fell on a sand bank, 
where its flesh was so well preserved that it afforded acceptable food for 
dogs and beasts for at least three seasons. In 1804 the original discov- 
erer carried away the tusks, which he sold for about forty dollars. In 
1806 Adams found it where it had fallen, in a mutilated condition, but 
not entirely divested of flesh. The skeleton was, however, complete, 
except one foreleg and some joints of the tail. About one-fourth of the 
skin had disappeared, but the remainder required the united efforts of ten 
men to remove it to the shore, a distance of only fifty yards. It was of 
a dark gray color, and was covered with a short, curly, reddish wool, 
besides some long black hairs, resembling bristles, which varied in 
length from one to eighteen inches. The animal was a male, and had a 
long mane; and the whole body was eventually taken to St. Petersburg 
to grace the imperial museum, while samples of its wool were sent to 
the principal museums throughout Europe. The tusks were repurchased 
by the government, and replaced in their original sockets. Its chief 
measurements are: From the forehead to the end of the mutilated tail, 
sixteen feet, four inches; height to the top of the dorsal spines, nine feet, 

four inches; the length of the tusks along the curvature, nine feet, six 
15 



226 THE RURIK. 

inches. Besides the remains of the Elefihas Pi'imigenius, as it is scien- 
tifically named — or primogenial elephant, as it might be popularly called, 
had not the word mammoth taken its permanent place in our literature 
— the bones of the rhinoceros, buffalo, horse, ox, and even sheep, have 
been found, all demonstrating that thei'e was a time when the Arctic 
regions could have been easily explored had there only been men to do 
it. And when the men came — though, according to the native legend, 
" there were once more healths of the Omoki on the shore of the Kolyma, 
than there are stars in the clear sky " — they were hardly the men to busy 
themselves overmuch with scientific researches, or to leave records to 
posterity. The Omoki have now disappeared from even the mainland, 
and the islands of New Siberia are alike untenantable by man or beast. 

KOTZEBUE'S ARCTIC VOYAGE. 

To these surveys of the northern coast and islands of Siberia was 
added a genuine Arctic voyage of exploration in 1S15. To the public 
spirit and zeal for knowledge of Count Nicholas Romanzof, or Riov- 
mantsof, who had been made Secretary of State in 1807, was Russia in- 
debted for this expedition. It consisted of one vessel of 180 tons, which 
was intrusted to Lieut. Otto Von Kotzebue, son of the celebrated 
German dramatist of that name. He had accompanied Krusenstern in 
his voyage around the world, 1803-6. As his chief companions the 
scientific count had secured the poet and naturalist, Chamisso, and the 
physician and naturalist, Eschscholtz. Twenty-two men constituted the 
crew of their ship, the " Rurik," so named in honor of the first king 
of Russia, the famous Varangian chief or Norse Viking, who founded 
the first Russian dynasty 953 years before. They left Plymouth, Eng- 
land, in October, 1S15, and in March, 1S16, arrived off" Waihu or 
Easter Island, about 800 leagues west of Chili — 27 6' south, by 109 
17' west — where they were prevented from landing by the natives, who 
were embittered by the injuries received at the hands of foreign visitors. 
On the 17th of June they reached the Bay of Avatcha, and pushing 
north, landed on St. Lawrence Island on the 27th. The inhabitants 



UNWELCOME HOSPITALITY. 227 

had never had any intercourse with Europeans, and now received the 
visitors with great friendliness and unwelcome hospitality. 

" So long as the naturalists wandered about on the hills," says Kotze- 
bue, "I staid with my acquaintances, who, when they found that I was 
the commander, invited me into their tents. Here a dirty skin was 
spread on the floor, on which I had to sit, and then they came in, one af- 
ter the other, embraced me, rubbed their noses hard against mine, and 
finished their caresses by spitting on their hands, and then striking me 
several times over the face. Although these proofs of friendship gave 
me very little pleasure, I bore all patiently; the only thing I did to 
lighten their caresses somewhat, was to distribute tobacco leaves. These 
the natives received with great pleasure, but they wished immediately to 
renew their proofs of friendship. Now I betook myself with speed to 
knives, scissors, and beads, and by distributing some, succeeded in avert- 
ing a new attack. But a still greater calamity awaited, when, in order 
to refresh me bodily, they brought forward a wooden tray with whale 
blubber. Nauseous as this food is to a European stomach, I boldly at- 
tacked the dish. This, along with new presents which I distributed, im- 
pressed the seal on the friendly relations between us. After the meal, 
our hosts made arrangements for dancing and singing, which was ac- 
companied on a little tambourine." Two days later, as they sailed^away 
to the north, past the island, the natives killed a dog in view of them, 
perhaps as a sacrifice to the departing Europeans. 

Passing through Behring's Strait, they arrived on the ist of August 
within a broad bay or inlet, beginning at 66° 42' 30" by 164 ° 14' 
50", which they proceeded to explore with great zeal, hoping per- 
chance to find the long-sought communication with the Atlantic. They 
spent a fortnight in its survey, and thought at one time to find a passage 
south to Norton Sound. It proved, however, to be everywhere sur- 
rounded by land, and was named Kotzebue Sound, while a considerable 
island and bay discovered during their exploration were named respec- 
tively Chamisso and Eschscholtz, in honor of his companions, the natural- 
ists. The attention of these gentlemen was attracted to a remarkable — 
and as far as known unique — island. It had an elevation of about 100 



228 DEATH OF KOTZEBUE. 

feet, and the appearance of a chalk cliff, but on closer observation proved 
to be a mass of ice, on which had been deposited in the course of ages, a 
layer of blue clay and turf-earth, only six inches thick, but covered with 
luxuriant vegetation. "The ice must have been several hundred thou- 
sand years old," says Nordenskiold, in describing this find; "for on its be- 
ing melted a large number of bones and tusks of the mammoth appeared, 
from which we may draw the conclusion that the ice stratum was formed 
during the period in which the mammoth lived in these regions." Its 
ascertained latitude was 66° 15' 36", and it was thoroughly re-exam- 
ined by Dr. Collie, the surgeon of Beechey's expedition in 1827, and still 
later by the traveler Dall. 

Leaving Kotzebue Sound on the 15th of August, for the Asiatic side, 
they beheld the wide-spread Arctic Ocean, quite free from ice as far as 
the eye could reach, and might perhaps have reached what is now 
known as Wrangell Land, had they pushed boldly to the north. A 
contrary course was taken, and returning through Behring's Strait, they 
wintered far to the south on one of the group of islands to which Chat- 
ham, Calvert, and Nautilus belong. In 18 17 Kotzebue set out for the 
north, but being violently thrown against one of the ship's timbers in a 
gale, he lost his health and courage, and other difficulties not being 
wanting, he returned to Europe without having again penetrated the 
Polar Sea, arriving at home in 1S18. He made a voyage around the 
world, 1S23-6, which is foreign to our subject, and died in 1S46, in his 
fiftieth year. 




CHAPTER XXVI. 

RUSSIAN EXPEDITIONS WRANGELL WOOD HILLS DESCENT OF THE 

LENA FATHER MICHEL CLOTHING FOR WINTER PROCURED 

START FOR CAPE SCHELAGSKOI A SLEDGE LOADED TENTING 

IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS SEVERE COLD RETURN RIVER — 

TRADING BRANDY TO NATIVES A SIBERIAN FAIR UNWELCOME 

HOSPITALITY A TCHUKTCHI DANCE. 

Two small exploring expeditions, or rather one expedition in two 
divisions, was organized by the Russian naval department in 1S20, each 
under command of a lieutentant, with two junior officers, a medical offi- 
cer, who was also to be a naturalist, and two seamen, one a smith and 
the other a carpenter. Their instructions, including explanatory pream- 
ble, were as follows: " From the journals and reports of all other expe- 
ditions undertaken to the Polar Ocean, it appears that it is impossible to 
navigate it for scientific purposes even in summer, owing to the presence 
of immense quantities of drift-ice. On the other hand, it is known that 
Sergeant Andrejew drove over the ice in the spring of 1763 with 
sledges; and the same was done by Messrs. Hedenstrom and Pschen- 
izyn in 1S09, 1S10 and 1S11, when the former surveyed the Bear 
Islands, and the latter the Lachovv Islands and New Siberia. As this 
appears to be the only practical plan for the execution of His Impe- 
rial Majesty's desire, its adoption has been resolved on by the depart- 
ment of the admiralty with respect to the expedition now to be sent. 
Accordingly the first division of that expedition is directed to proceed in 
sledges to survey the coast eastward from the mouth of the Kolyma as 
far as Cape Schelagskoi, and thence to proceed in a northerly direc- 
tion, in order to ascertain whether an inhabited country exists in that 
quarter, as asserted by the Tchuktchi and others." 

The first division was intrusted to Lieutenant Ferdinand Von 

229 



230 WOOD HILLS. 

Wrangell, with the midshipman Matinschkin, the mate Kosmin, two 
seamen — one a carpenter and the other a smith — and Dr. Kyber, sur- 
geon and naturalist, as subordinates. The second was placed in charge 
of Lieut. Peter Feodorovitch Anjou, with the mate Ilgin and Dr. Figu- 
rin, surgeon and naturalist, as subordinates. The results attained by the 
second division were never formally published, as their papers were acci- 
dentally burnt. It is, however, known that they failed to discover the 
"inhabited country in a northerly direction, as. alleged by the Tchuk- 
tchi and others," which was the main object of both sections of the 
expedition, and that they surveyed the New Siberia Islands. The 
remarkable Wood Hills of those islands are thus referred to by Anjou: 
" They form a steep declivity twentv fathoms high, extending about five 
versts (three miles) along the coast. In this bank, which is exposed to 
the sea, beams or trunks of trees are found, generally in a horizontal posi- 
tion, but with great irregularity, fifty or more of them together, the 
largest being about ten inches in diameter. The wood is not very 
hard, is friable, has a black color, and a slight gloss. When laid on 
the fire it does not burn with a flame, but glimmers, and emits a res- 
inous odor." They had been similarly described by Hedenstrom in 
1811, who adds some particulars not given by Anjou: "They are 
thirty fathoms high, and consist of horizontal strata of sandstone, alter- 
nating with strata of bituminous beams or trunks of trees. On ascend- 
ing these hills fossilized charcoal is everywhere met with, covered appar- 
ently with ashes; but on closer examination this ash is also found to be a 
petrifaction, and so hard that it can scarcely be scraped off with a knife. 
On the summit another curiosity is found, namely, a long row of beams 
resembling the former, but fixed perpendicularly in the sandstone. The 
ends, which project from seven to ten inches, are for the most part 
broken. The whole has the appearance of a ruinous dike." These cu- 
rious remains afford strong presumptive evidence, that sometime in the 
vast geological ages of the past, those regions enjoyed a far more tem- 
perate climate than now. It is not impossible that another revolution of 
the globe is slowly progressing, whereby all parts of the earth's surface 
successively pass under the north pole of the heavens. 



DESCENT OF THE LENA. 



231 



The members of the expedition left St. Petersburg on the 4th of 
April, 1820, and proceeded together as far as Moscow, where Anjou and 
Kosmin remained behind to procure the necessary instruments for both 
divisions. Wrangell and Matinschkin pushed on to Irkoutsk, making 
the journey of 3482 English miles from St. Petersburg in fifty-six days. 
In June they were rejoined by the other members of the expedition, and 
on the 7th of July Wrangell's party left the capital of Siberia. On the 
ninth, having made a rapid land journey of 136 miles, they reached 




BARON VON WRANGELL. 

Kotschuga, on the Lena, which there becomes navigable. The next day 
they began the descent of the great river, and on the 4th of August 
arrived at Iakoutsk, having been twenty-five days making a distance of 
1442 miles. This city is the great center of the interior trade of Eastern 
Siberia. About the middle of August Anjou' s division reached Ia- 
koutsk, and Matinschkin went forward in advance of his chief to Nishni, 
— that is, Lower — Kolymsk, Wrangell following on the 24th of Septem- 
ber. His route now lay across country to the northeast, and measured 



232 FATHER MICHEL. 

ovei" 1,200 miles, occupying fifty-one days. Wrangell arrived at his base 
of operations, Lower Kolymsk — latitude 68° 32', longitude 160 35'. — on 
the 14th of November, having made a journey of 6,300 miles from St. 
Petersburg in 224 days, of which thirty-six were spent at Irkoutsk and 
forty-nine at Iakoutsk, besides minor stoppages. The journey was made on 
horseback, Wrangell and his two companions heading a cavalcade of ten 
pack-horses strung together, the first and last only having drivers. Be- 
tween that city and the Aldan River the people were Jakuts of Tartar 
origin ; beyond the Verchoiausk Mountains they met some Tunguses, also 
of Tartar origin. In crossing the mountains they encountered about equal 
difficulty in climbing precipices and clearing a passage through the deep 
snow in the ravines. On the ninth of October they crossed the Yana, 
and on the 15th, at the station of Tabalog, met Dr. Tomaschewski, -who 
was on his return to civilization after three years' service at Nishni Ko- 
lymsk. On the 22d they crossed the Indigirka at Saschiversk, where they 
enjoyed for two days the hospitality of the venerable Father Michel, 
aged eighty-seven, who, in a residence of forty years had baptized and 
instructed in the doctrines of Christanity, about 15,000 Jakuts, Tunguses 
and Jukahires. Next reaching Lake Orinkino, they entered the district of 
Kolymsk, and traveling 150 miles over an entirely uninhabited waste, for 
the most part but little better than a frozen morass, they arrived at the 
Alasei Range, "which constitutes the watershed between the river of that 
name and the Indigirka. 

At Sardach station on the 2d of November, Wrangell heard the first 
tidings of Matinschkin's safe arrival at his destination, and of the prepa- 
rations he was there making for the expedition. Crossing a low range 
of hills which divide the waters of the Alasei from the Kolyma, they ar- 
rived at the latter river on the 6th, at the town of Sredne Kolymsk, the 
official headquarters of the district. Here a day was spent in procuring 
the heavy fur clothing necessary for the colder region they -were hasten- 
ing to, though the temperature was far from genial where they were, 
the thermometer ranging on the day of their arrival from 90 to 33 ° be- 
low zero. At length on the 31st of October, on the banks of the Omo- 
lon, having made their last trip of 185 miles on horseback, they gladly 





'1 "1 

I'll 






m 



i 







233 



234 PREPARATIONS FOR SLEDGE JOURNEY. 

exchanged that means of travel for the dog-sledges of the country, and 
reached Lower Kolymsk two days later. Here they wintered to recu- 
perate and prepare for the exploring expedition in the spring. The 
Kolyma at this point is usually frozen over before the middle of Septem- 
ber, and so continues until June. During the three summer months, the 
sun remains for fifty-two days constantly above the horizon, but so near 
it that he gives but little heat, and may usually be gazed upon with the 
naked eye without serious inconvenience. The inhabitants are very jeal- 
ous of the distinction of the seasons, and insist that it is spring when the 
sun becomes visible at noon, though the thermometer is usually 35 ° be- 
low zero at night; and autumn begins with the freezing of the river, 
when the thermometer often points to 47°- But visitors are content to 
divide the year into nine months of winter, and three of summer. In 
June the temperature sometimes rises to 72 °, but before the close of 
July it sinks to the genial warmth of a pleasant autumn day in more 
favored climes. In January the thermometer goes down to 65 ° below 
zero, thus showing a range of 137 in five months. Clear days are 
very rare in winter, vapors and fogs almost constantly prevailing. And 
yet the climate is not unhealthy; catarrh and ophthalmia are common, es- 
pecially in the foggy period, but scurvy and other dangerous diseases are 
very rare. 

It was the 3d of March, 1821, before they set out for Cape Schelags- 
koi. The intervening coast is uninhabited, the Russians making occa- 
sional hunting excursions as far as the Baranow Rocks, and the 
Tchuktchi, from the other side, to the greater Baranow River, while the 
unsubdued Tchuktchis, with their numerous herds of reindeer, roam over 
the intervening moss-covered plains, and are an object of dread to those 
who have occasion to cross their territory. Reaching Sucharnoi 
Island — latitude 69 ° 31', longitude 161 ° 44' — at the mouth of the 
east branch of the Kolyma, on the 5th they made their final arrange- 
ments for the trip. There were nine dog-sledges with their drivers; and 
the equipments were as follows: A tent of reindeer skin, with a skele- 
ton frame of ten poles, and the necessarv cooking utensils; a bear-skin 
apiece to lie on, and a double coverlet of reindeer skin for each pair; the 



A SLEDGE LOAD. 235 

outer clothing of each comprised a fur shirt, or kamleia, an overcoat or 
outside wrapper of double fur, called a kuchlanka, fur-lined boots, a fur 
cap and gloves of reindeer skin, with some changes of linen. Each per- 
son was supplied with a gun, fifty cartridges, a pike, a knife, and the 
means of striking fire. The instruments were two chronometers, a sec- 
onds' watch, a sextant and artificial horizon, a spirit thermometer, three 
azimuth compasses — one having a prism — two telescopes, and a measur- 
ing line. The provisions for each mess of five for one month were ioo 
lbs. of rye biscuits, 60 lbs. of meat, 10 lbs. portable soup, 2 lbs. tea, 4 lbs. 
candy, 8 lbs. grits, 3 lbs. salt, 39 rations of spirits, 12 lbs. tobacco, and 
smoked ju&ala equal to 1,000 herrings. The food provided for the dogs 
consisted of frozen and dried fish of different kinds equal to 8,150 dried 
herrings. 

Each sledge carried about 900 lbs. avoirdupois, besides the driver. 
The whole was so carefully covered and tied down with thongs and 
straps that nothing could be displaced or injured in the event of a sledge 
being upset. The driver sits about midway, holding on by a thong 
which runs from end to end of the sledge, and carrying in the other hand 
a long staff with a prod or spike at one end and small bells at the other, 
with which, and his voice, he drives and guides his team, and which he 
uses also as a support in an emergency. The six provision sledges car- 
ried most of the stores, and were to return as soon as unloaded ; but a 
portion was also placed on the traveling sledges of the explorers as a 
measure of precaution. The latitude of the island was found to be 69 
31', and the longitude 161° 44', and the thermometer, at noon, showed 
half a degree below zero. On the morning of March 6, 1S21, they 
started for the lesser Baranow Rock, twenty-four miles distant, and ar- 
rived at a hut erected by Capt. Billings, some thirty-three years before, 
which they found in a good state of preservation, but filled with snow 
and ice. Dislodging the boards which formed the roof, they cleared 
the hut in half an hour, but it proved only large enough to accommodate 
four persons. The party at this time consisted of Lieutenant Wrangell, 
the mate, Kosmin, and nine drivers. Seven were housed in the tent. It 
was found that their observations corresponded with the careful surveys 



236 TENTING IN ARCTIC REGIONS 

of Capt. Billings. On their way they had seen the wooden tower 
erected by Lieut. Laptew, in 1739, at the mouth of the Kolyma. 

The next day, with the thermometer at 20 below zero, at noon, they 
reached the vicinity of the greater Baranow Rock, having made about 
twenty-five miles. Here they saw the enormous masses of rock noticed 
by Sarytschew, some of which looked like niins of vast buildings, and 
others, colossal figures of men and animals. On the Sth, having made 
about twenty miles, with the thermometer ntnging from four to eleven 
degrees lower than at noon of the day before, they pitched the tent on 
the bank of a small sti*eam of good water, beyond which no Russian 
had peneti*ated since the ill-fated expedition of Schalarow. Here also 
they erected a depot of provisions for the return trip. This consisted 
of four posts driven into the snow, on which was placed a rough box 
made of driftwood at a height of nine feet. In this were placed the 
stores, covered with wood and snow. The tent was twelve feet wide at 
the bottom, and ten feet high at the center; and around the central fire, 
with their feet toward it, and their bodies radiating from it like the 
spokes of a wheel, they lay down to sleep, and generally rested well. 
Rising at six they were ready to start at nine, and usually made their 
day's journey of twenty miles in eight hours, including stoppages for 
observations. At night they laid the sledges bottom upward, and poured 
water on the runners to form an ice-coating, by the help of which they 
could glide more smoothly over the snow, the drivers always making a 
special effort to keep on the snow to preserve the smoothness of the 
runners. 

On the 9th they made only twenty miles, a severe snowstorm ex- 
hausting the dogs, and the next day their route lay over the sea ice at 
the distance of a few hundred yards from the shore. As far as the eye 
could reach they could see nothing but a level sheet of snow, which made 
traveling much easier for the dogs, but very monotonous for the men. 
They halted early to make observations for the longitude, which was 
ascertained to be 166 n', and to erect another depot of provisions. 
At noon on the nth, a mile from the coast, the latitude was ascertained 
to be 69 30', the longitude 166 27'. The temperature falling to 



TCHUKTCHI HUTS. 237 

37 ° below zero, it became necessary to protect the dogs by clothing 
their bodies and feet, while the snow became less smooth, and thus the 
progress of the animals was doubly hindered, so that they were able to 
make only fifteen miles. The travelers had now reached the great Ba- 
ranicha, where the coast gradually rises as it trends to the north. In the 
distance, to the south and southwest, could be seen the hazy outline of 
some mountains, and to the north the white glint of a line of ice hum- 
mocks. Observations became difficult and uncertain, the instruments 
being affected by the intense cold, and at a temperature 36 ° below zero, 
were discontinued. On the 12th they encamped, after a journey of sixteen 
miles, at the foot of a hill in latitude 69 ° 38', and longitude 167 43% 
with the temperature at 29 °. Here was deposited another lot of pro- 
visions. At noon of the 13th they were 5' farther north, and at the foot 
of a low bluff they saw a Tchuktchi hut, which had the appearance of 
having been recently occupied. About three miles farther on they en- 
tered the strait lying between the mainland and the Sabadei Island of 
Schalarow, in the middle of which they fell in with several Tchuktchi 
huts, built of drift larch wood, in latitude 69 49' and longitude 168 
4'. At noon of the 14th, in latitude 69 52', they saw from the top 
of a hill which they ascended for the purpose, a stretch of open water in 
the distance, extending east and west as far as the eye could reach, with 
great hummocks of ice to the north, which they had at first supposed 
was land. Within two miles they identified Laptew's Sand Cape, in 
longitude 168 , where the low, flat coast gives way to the more elevated 
surface. At the end of a journey of twenty miles they made a fourth 
and last deposit, and dismissed the last of their provision sledges. 

There now remained Wrangell, Kosmin, and three drivers, and their 
point of departure was now 69 58' by 168 41'. They gave the 
dogs a day's respite, and on the 16th of March they proceeded toward 
the hills of the east, but after making thirty-five miles they were com- 
pelled to halt for the night among some ice hummocks. Finally, on the 
17th, having traveled some eighteen miles, they reached the northwest 
point of Cape Schelagskoi, with ice hummocks and icebergs all aixmnd. 
Pushing on for five hours longer, during which they had only made five 



238 RETURN RIVER. 

miles, over hummocks, around bergs, through loose snow, and fighting 
for every foot of the way, they reached a sheltered cove and encamped 
for the night. Here they had the good fortune to find some drift- 
wood, and building a rousing fire — a privilege they had not enjoyed 
for some days — they recruited their strength, with the Schelagskoi tow- 
ering west of them to the height of 3000 feet. 

With only three days' provisions remaining, Wrangell and Kosmin, 
leaving one sledge behind to await their return, proceeded to test, as far 
as might be possible, the theory of Admiral James Burney, recently ad- 
vanced in England. He conjectured that an isthmus might be found ex- 
tending from Schelagskoi to the main land of America, north of Behr- 
ing's Strait. Having gone ten miles east from the camp, at noon of the 
18th, they found the latitude to be 70 ° 3', and seven miles farther on, 
with twenty-four miles of coast in view to the east, the main trend of the 
land was southeast, and therefore not confirmatory of Burney' s views. 
Naming the farthest point seen Cape Kosmin, in honor of his compan- 
ion, and marking the limit they had reached by a cairn on a hill, in lati- 
tude 70 i' and longitude 171 ° 47', on the bank of a stream signifi- 
cantly named the Return, Wrangell with his three companions returned 
to camp. They had traveled 241 miles since leaving Sucharnoi Island 
— an average of twenty miles a day. They erected a memorial cross at 
the cape, and set out on the return trip the next morning. They reached 
Staduchin's Wolok (portage) three miles from camp, but farther inland 
than the route previously taken, and at noon were at 69° 44' by 170 
47', and to a cape three miles away in a southwest direction, Wrangell 
gave the name of his midshipman'Matinschkin, then absent on a mission 
of peace and inquiry among the Tchuktchis. Next day they made 
across Tschaun Bay to Sabadei Island, and late in the evening of the 
2 1st reached their fourth depot of provisions — none too soon, for they 
had used up all they had taken with them. It proved their salvation, 
having escaped the depredations of foxes and wolverines, by which the 
other three were successively found to have been rifled. To add to their 
disappointment, no supplies 'were found at Sucharnoi Island, as ordered, 
and the hungry travelers — -men and dogs — had to wend their way to 



A RUSSIAN FAIR. 239 

Lower Kolymsk, where they arrived on the 26th, having been absent 
twenty-two days, the last two without food. 

The round trip, as made, was 647 miles, or an average of nearly thir- 
ty-one miles a day for the twenty-one days actually consumed in 
traveling. 

On the last day of March Wrangell was rejoined by Matinschkin 
who had been well received by the Tchuktchis, and promised a kind re- 
ception whenever the expedition should reach their settlements. They 
had never seen or heard of a land to the north of their coasts, and here 
again Burney's theory failed of support. He had left Lower Kolymsk 
on the 16th of March, accompanied by an eccentric British naval officer, 
Captain John Dundas Cochrane — surnamed "The Pedestrian Traveler," 
then on his famous trip around the world — a Cossack servant and a 
Jakut interpreter, and in four days arrived at Fort Ostrownoi, where an 
annual fair is held for trading with the Tchuktchis. This fort comprises 
a few huts surrounded by a palisade, and is built on an island in the 
lesser Aniuj River, in latitude 68° and longitude 196° io'. 

On the 2 1st a caravan of Russian merchants arrived with 125 pack- 
horses loaded with commodities suitable for the Tchuktchi trade. These 
were tobacco, beads of various colors and hardware, the last consisting 
mostly of hatchets, knives, and kettles, with other culinary utensils, be- 
sides some smuggled brandy, very significantly called by the Tchuktchis, 

"wild-making-water" — a much more appropriate name than the French 

. ** 
"water-of-life," given it in the earliest period of European acquaintance 

with its delusive stimulating powers. But though unfortunately made 

acquainted with its frenzying properties, the misguided aborigines will 

not hesitate to exchange their precious furs to the value of two hundred 

dollars for a few bottles of bad brandy costing perhaps two dollars at 

Iakoutsk. 

Besides this race, the fair is visited by the other native tribes within 

a radius of six hundred miles — -the Jukahiri, Tungusi, Tchuwanzi and the 

Koraki — together with a few scattered Russians, for whose benefit the 

merchants bring a small stock of tea, sugar, cloth and brandy. To trade 

in this last with the aborigines is duly forbidden by the Russian gov- 



240 MATINSCHKIN INTERVIEWS THE CHIEFS. 

eminent, but means are easily found to evade the law, and the poor 
savages are only the more heavily fleeced because of the contraband 
character thus given to the traffic. 

The commodities brought to this market by the Tchuktchis consisted 
chiefly of the furs of various animals indigenous to their country and the 
opposite shores of North America, besides the skins of bears, reindeer, 
seals and walruses, as well as walrus teeth. Most of these they barter 
for with the American tribes, giving them in exchange the tobacco 
and trinkets which they procure from the Russians. The chief articles 
of their own manufacture are sledge-runners made of whalebone, cloth- 
ing made from reindeer skins, and seal skin bags. Before the open- 
ing of the fair, a basis of barter is settled by the principal personages 
on both sides. The value of goods exchanged annually was estimated 
at this time at about $150,000. The Russians make a profit of about 
60 per cent, on what the goods cost them at the home market, and 
the Tchuktchis about 300 per cent, on what they give for the furs to 
the American aborigines. But the latter are several months on the 
road, while the Russians are only a few weeks from home. The fair 
lasts only three days. The Russians are vehement and noisy; the 
Tchuktchis calmly wait for what they consider an equitable offer, which 
they at once accept. The noise, press and bustling activity on the 
part of the too eager Russians, together with the jargon of mixed 
Russian, Tchuktchi and Jakut words, in which they proclaim the value 
of their wares, creates an indescribable confusion and uproar, in 
marked contrast with the silent composure always maintained by the 
barbarians. 

Here Matinschkin took occasion to introduce his mission to the 
notice of the chiefs of the Tchuktchi. These were Makamok and 
Leutt, from the Bay of St. Lawrence, Waletka, whose numerous herds 
of reindeer crop the green moss of the plains to the east of Cape 
Schelagskoi, and Ewraschka, whose tribe of nomads roams the lowlands 
round the Tchaun Bay. He explained to them that the might}' Czar 
of all the Russias wished to ascertain if his ships could reach his 
Tchuktchi friends by the northern sea, and bring them the wares they 



UNWELCOME HOSPITALITY. 241 

needed by that route in greater abundance, and at a cheaper rate. He 
inquired whether in prosecution of that design the servants of the Em- 
peror could rely on a friendly reception among their people, and pro- 
cure for them such supplies as they might need, by paying for the same 
in such commodities as the Tchuktchi were wont to purchase. 

To all these overtures, accompanied by presents kindly sent them by 
the Emperor, the chiefs gave their willing assent, promising that the 
expedition would receive their cordial support whenever and wherever it 
might be required. 

Leutt received him with great cordiality at his tent, where he par- 
took of his hospitality which, however, he would have been glad to dis- 
pense with, and where he was almost suffocated by the fumes of stinking 
oil and the evaporation from six dirty, and almost naked people. His ill- 
concealed squirmishness excited the hilarity of the wife and daughter of 
his host, who were busily engaged decorating their persons with many 
colored beads in honor of his visit. Makomol invited him to witness a 
sledge-race in which the three prizes were, a blue fox skin, a beaver skin, 
and a pair of walrus teeth. The speed of the reindeer, and the dexterity 
of the drivers elicited his admiration, and the applause of the multitude 
was as sincere as it was well -deserved. This was supplemented by a 
foot-race, in -which the contestants wore their usual heavy fur clothing, 
but seemed, nevertheless, to run over the course of nearly nine miles, 
with as much fleetness as the light-clad runners of more genial climes. 
Matinschkin noticed that the Tchuktchi evinced a much higher appreci- 
ation of the previous performance, which is in harmony with what may 
also be observed among civilized men. At the close of the games, spec- 
tators and performers were entertained with princely hospitality at a ban- 
quet of boiled reindeer, cut up in small pieces, and served in large wooden 
bowls distributed around over the snow. The quietness and good order 
manifested by the people who partook of this wide-spread repast, elicited 
the admiration of Matinschkin, who could not fail to contrast it with the 
jostling and crushing and subdued quarreling which so often character- 
ize public banquets in civilized communities. 

His visits were formally returned by a party of the Tchuktchi, 
16 



242 



A TCHUKTCHI DANCE. 



on the following day, to the ladies of which he presented red, 
white and blue beads, and for refreshments, some tea and candy; 
of the latter only did they partake, tea having no charms for 
the fashionable ladies of Northeastern Asia. Then they danced, if 
dance it may be called, where the feet and bodies are moved 
back and forth, without change of place or evolution of any kind, while 
the performers beat the air with their hands. In the next stage of the 
performance, three of the most competent dancers signalized themselves 
in a very energetic and complicated series of evolutions — dignified with 
the title of the national dance of the Tchuktchi, in which jumpings, 
grimaces and contortions formed the chief attraction — until forced by ex- 
haustion to desist. Thereupon it was whispered in the ear of Matinsch- 
kin, by the interpreter, that the etiquette of the occasion required him to 
give to each of the three distinguished artists, a cup of brandy and some 
tobacco, which was accordingly done, when the whole party took leave 
of the Russian, charging him to remember to return the call in their own 
country. The chiefs also made him a formal visit, to renew their assur- 
ances of friendliness, and disposition to forward the exploration of the 
Icy Sea. Leaving on the 28th, he rejoined his chief, as has been said, at 
Lower Kolymsk, on the 31st of March, 1821. Dr. Kyber, the remain- 
ing officer of the expedition, had arrived from Irkoutsk the day after 
Wrangell's departure on his first sledge journey ; but was so feeble that 
he was not able to take part, even in the second, for which they now 
began to make preparations. 




CHAPTER XXVII. 

WRANGELL's SECOND SLEDGE JOURNEY ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR 

A SALT MOOR SURPLUS PROVISIONS DEPOSITED ATTACKED BY 

BEARS RETURN TO LOWER KOLYMSK SUMMER OCCUPATIONS 

ALMOST AN ACCIDENT — -WINTER AT NISHNI KOLYMSK. 

The outfit for this journey was substantially the same as for the pre- 
vious one, with some few improvements and additions. The most im- 
portant of these was a portable boat made of skins for crossing open 
channels in the ice, a crowbar for breaking through the ice when nec- 
essary or desirable, and whalebone shoeing for the sledge-runners to be 
attached where the loose snow or the crystals left by salt water overflow, 
made the passage difficult. To the instruments were added a dipping- 
needle and sounding-line. The traveling sledges were six, and the pro- 
vision sledges fourteen, besides two sledges belonging to the merchant 
Bereshnoi, who had asked to be permitted to accompany the expedition, 
making in all a train of twenty-two sledges, with 240 dogs. The load 
of each sledge at the outset was nearly 1,100 lbs. avoirdupois. Wrangell's 
immediate companions were Matinschkin, Reschetnikow — a retired ser- 
geant who had joined him at Iakoutsk, and who some twelve years be- 
fore had accompanied Hedenstrom in his exploring expedition to the 
New Siberia Islands — and the sailor Nechoroschkow, who had accom- 
panied him from St. Petersburg. 

On the 7th of April the start was made, as before, from Sucharnoi 
Island, and the first halt was at Billings' hut near the lesser Baranow Rock, 
whence a more northerly direction was taken than on the first journey. 
A mile and a half from the shore, on the second day, they encountered 
much difficulty in threading their way among the ice-hummocks, but 
getting clear after three hours' labor, they found themselves five miles 
from shore on a level plain unbroken as far as the eye could reach, save 

243 



244 FOUR-PILLAR ISLAND. 

where an occasional small hummock stood like a rock above the surface. 
Having made seven miles farther, the traveling sledges stopped to await 
the coming-up. Here they encountered an enormous bear which they 
succeeded in killing, mainly through the dexterity and courage of one of 
the Cossack drivers. 

When the provision sledges arrived, they reported two of their 
number missing, having had their sledges upset among the hum- 
mocks. Three sledges were quickly unloaded and sent back to 
their relief, and in two hours the rescuers and the rescued re- 
joined the others uninjured, but tired and cold. It was therefore deemed 
advisable to camp for the night where they were. Wrangell's tent was 
accordingly pitched in the center with four smaller tents belonging to 
the merchant and the wealthier drivers, round about., the whole being 
encircled by the twenty-two sledges, with the dogs tethered on the in- 
side. On the 9th, one provision sledge returned homeward; and at noon 
they found themselves in latitude 69 ° 5S', with the greater Baranow 
Rock to the southeast. By night they had made twenty-eight miles, 
reaching latitude 70 12' 30". On the 10th, after a journey of twenty- 
seven miles, they camped in a small bay on an island which they judged 
to be the most eastern of the Bear Islands, though they found the lati- 
tude only 70 37', while Leontjew, in 1769, had determined it to be 
71 58', and the longitude 162 ° 35'. Wrangell named it the Four- 
Pillar Island from the remarkable pillars of granitic porphyry, the tallest of 
which measured forty-eight feet in height and ninety-one in circumference. 
The form was somewhat like a gigantic human body with a turban on 
its head, but without arms or legs. Finding here an abundance of drift- 
wood, they concluded to remain one day, which was devoted to making 
observations and collecting a store of firewood. 

Two provision sledges returned from this point, when on the 12th 
of April our travelers set out toward the northeast, and at noon found 
themselves 5' north and 4' east of the island, having made between six 
and seven miles. All this time the temperature kept a few degrees above 
zero, usually between seven and fourteen. Now they encountered the 
salt covering on the ice surface, which made progress slow, and a thick 



A SALT MOOR. 245 

fog, which made their clothing wet and uncomfortable. Both circum- 
stances also indicated an approach to open water; and to add to their 
danger, the wind blew a gale, threatening the disruption of the ice. 
They found refuge in the shelter of a hummock thirty feet high, and 
from the fresh falling snow on its summit they were able to obtain 
water fit for drinking and cooking. The tent was torn, and would have 
been swept away by the -wind had they not secured it by extra fastening 
to the hummock. By four in the morning the storm had subsided, and 
the temperature rose to 23 °. By attaching the whalebone shoeing to the 
runners and walking beside the sledges, they continued to advance, but 
the surface was so rough that it took seven hours to make nineteen miles, 
while the provision sledges were away behind, out of sight. In the 
evening the temperature again sank to 7 , but rose on the morning of 
April 14 to iS°, when they again took the road. Eight miles further 
on they saw three seals, which, however, got safely away to their holes 
in the ice. Having traveled twenty miles, they camped at 71 ° 31' by 
163 21 ', and sent back three more sledges. 

They now adopted the plan of traveling by night, and started after 
sunset on April 15, but after traveling nine miles they found themselves 
in what Wrangell calls a deep salt moor, with the ice only five inches 
thick, and so rotten that it could be cut through with a common knife. 
Hastening out of this dangerous place two miles to the southeast, they 
found the ice smooth and sound and fourteen inches thick, and the sea 
depth twelve fathoms. They camped at 71 ° 37' by 163 29'., and 
spent the night in great alarm, as a high northern wind so agitated the 
open sea somewhere to the north, that the ice beneath their feet was 
made to vibrate by the disturbance of the water. Leaving this camp, 
Wrangell with two sledges only proceeded four miles farther, when he 
found the ice so broken by fissures, and so unstable, that he concluded to 
seek safety in quitting the neighborhood. The highest point reached was 
71° 43', at an air line distance of 124 miles from the lesser Baranow 
Rock. 

Having made about thirteen miles to the south-southeast from the 
limit, they encamped for the night of the 16th of April in a circular hoi- 



246 EASTER SERVICE. 

low formed by ice hills. At noon the next day they were at 70 ° 30" 
by 163 39' ; and resuming their journey after sunset toward the east, 
they soon fell in with a labyrinth of hummocks, with what they con- 
ceived to be an island in the distance. Breaking through the intervening 
obstacles by the free use of the crowbar for three hours, they reached the 
foot of the towering mass, which proved to be only an ice hill of unusual 
dimensions. Here were carefully deposited the surplus provisions, thus 
relieving eight sledges, which, with their drivers, in charge of Sergt. 
Reschetnikow, were sent on to Nishni Kolymsk. There remained ten 
persons including the merchant Bereshnoi, who wished to see the adven- 
ture through to the end, with six sledges and provisions for men and dogs 
for fourteen days. On the iSth at noon the point reached was 71° 15" 
by 164 4', and at night they encamped about 600 yards from a recent 
ice fissure, in the shelter of a large block of ice, still moving in a south- 
easterly direction along the margin of the fissure, with the clefts becom- 
ing more and more numerous. 

Having made thirty miles they halted, at sunrise, on the 20th, at 70 
56', by 164 49'. In the evening they ferried themselves across a wide 
fissure on a floating block of ice, and at a distance of eighteen miles 
from the halting place of the morning, they sighted the greater Baranow 
Rock, about sixty miles away to the southeast. Here, while on a short 
excursion from the main party, in pursuit of a bear, Wrangell and 
Matinschkin, in two unloaded sledges, got among the breaking ice, and 
with the utmost difficulty and haste succeeded in rejoining their compan- 
ions on the stronger ice, at 70 46', by 165 ° 6'. After resting for the 
night they resumed their course to the southeast on the 21st, but finding 
the hummocks impassable to their broken sledges, they returned to the 
same place, and rested on the next day, which was Easter Sunday, and 
which they obsei'ved as nearly in accordance with the customs of their 
country as they found practicable. They made a block of ice do service 
as an altar, before which they burnt the only wax taper they possessed, 
while Bereshnoi read the prescribed service, and the Cossacks and 
sledge-drivers sang the customary hymns. On the 23d one of the drivers 
was suddenly taken sick, causing a detention of another day, which was 




11 

Mmh 



Jl 

■in I i 



■i.i ; ft^f i ; ■ill;:" 1 

'; :: • /lii'f tl VH '■■■ 



SI' 



:■ 



247 



248 ATTACKED BT BEARS. 

devoted to repairing sledges, with the temperature at iS° above, and 
the stillness relieved from time to time by the thunder of crashing ice in 
the distance. It was now determined to go back, and having made 
thirty-seven miles due west, they encamped at 70 39', by 163 29', with 
Four Pillar Islands twenty-two miles to the southwest. Then turning 
north they fell in with the tracks of the sledges dismissed homeward, 
and having made twenty-eight miles, they halted in latitude 71 ° 4'. 

On the 26th, after eleven hours of dangerous traveling — Wrangell's 
eight dogs were once precipitated in the water, and he was saved from fol- 
lowing them only by the length of the sledge — they reached their depot 
of provisions, which they found intact, though numerous traces of bears 
and other animals were found on all sides of the ice hill. The next day 
they rested, and found the latitude to be 71 ° 28'. During the night 
they were awakened by the barking of the dogs, and on getting up 
saw two bears, which they pursued without success until morning, leav- 
ing Wrangell a solitary guard over the camp. A third bear soon put in 
an appearance, and, after a moment of painful suspense to the beholder, 
scampered off, soon falling in with two of the hunters, by whom he was 
wounded, but without being prevented from making his escape. This 
fruitless night's hunt necessitated another day's rest; and on the 29th they 
crossed their own tracks of April 1st. They noticed three halos around 
the sun, and made over twenty-three miles before encamping, at 71 ° 26' 
by 162 27'. Finding himself on the scene of Hedenstrom's labors in 
18 10, Wrangell now concluded to direct his attention to the land they 
had seen from Four Pillar Islands. " The inhabited country to the north, 
as alleged by Tchuktchi and others," had failed to heave in sight, and 
he lost all hope of finding it on the present trip. Having made twenty- 
four miles in a driving snowstorm, during which they tied the dogs of 
one sled to the end of the one preceding, so as not to become separated 
in the thick darkness, and being guided only by the compass, they halted 
on the open ice plain, but were unable to pitch their tent or light a fire, 
thus spending the worst night they had experienced on the trip. 

On the 1st of May they reached a bay on the north side of Four Pil- 
lar Island after a journey of thirty miles in the continued darkness; show- 



SUMMER OCCUPATIONS. 249 

ing the accuracy of compass-guidance. Two blazing fires which they 
soon kindled on the land, restored their spirits, and on the morning of 
the 2d, they were regaled by the notes of some linnets as they ap- 
proached the second island of the group — the first cheerful sound they 
had heard since taking to the ice. On the 5th they examined the "west- 
ernmost of the Bear Islands, and found that the group comprised in all 
six islands, including the one they had previously named Four Pillar 
Island. Proceeding south-southwest on the 6th, they reached Cape 
Krestowoi, having traveled only twenty-five miles, and enjoyed the lux- 
ury of resting under a roof, and within walls. Provisions running low, 
and the season being well advanced, it was now determined to make the 
best of their way to Nishni Kolymsk, which was reached on the 10th of 
May, after an absence of thirty-four days, and a journey of 700 miles 
with the same dogs, and without serious accident of any kind to men, 
dogs, or provisions. 

SUMMER OCCUPATIONS OF WRANGELL'S PARTY. 

The scarcity of provisions at Nishni Kolymsk rendered it necessary 
for Wrangell to make special efforts to secure supplies for the expedition. 
Fishing parties were dispatched under Sotnik Tatarinow, Wrangell's 
Cossack sledge-driver, in whose intelligence and experience he had 
learned to place great confidence. A party was placed in charge of 
Matinschkin to survey the coast from the Kolyma to the Indigirka. A 
small dwelling and depot of provisions was to be erected by another 
party under Sergeant Reschetnikow, at the mouth of the Great Bara- 
nicha River. Dr. Kyber, who had now recovered, was at his own re- 
quest to explore, the banks of the Greater and Lesser Aniuj. A fourth 
section under Wrangell's immediate oversight, was to survey the mouths 
of the Kolyma. The mate Kosmin, Wrangell's companion on the first 
sledge journey, had been occupied during the second, in making a large 
boat or shallop, which was successfully launched on the 23d of June, and 
rigged with sails and anchor from those which had been used by Cap- 
tain Billings a generation before. A small boat had also been con- 
structed, capable of holding three persons. 



250 A BLAZE. 

The whole party now embarked in the shallop, but were pre- 
vented by contrary winds from making much headway. With 
four oars they laboriously made their way three miles down the 
river, when, in making a landing, one of the dogs fell overboard, 
and becoming entangled in a rope, would have been strangled 
had not Matinschkin sprung to the rescue. Unfortunately in 
cutting the rope he cut his own thumb so severely that Dr. Kyber 
thought it might easily become dangerous; and Wrangell insisted that 
patient and physician should return to Nishni Kolymsk, also instructing 
them to explore the Aniuj together as soon as the wound became healed. 
On the ioth of July Wrangell and Kosmin, with their companions, ar- 
rived at the Tschukotschie River, whither the fishing parties had been 
sent forward, and where they were glad to see that success had crowned 
their efforts. Here they landed, proposing to make the coast journey to 
the Indigirka on horseback, and while waiting for the arrival of the 
Jakut owners and the horses, they succeeded in killing three reindeer. 
With only five animals — all that could be procured — two to serve as 
pack-horses and three for himself and two companions, Kosmin under- 
took to traverse the desert waste between the two great rivers, and 
started off on the 14th of July. His companions were a Jakut and a 
Cossack, and they took with them two light canoes for crossing streams. 

Wrangell occupied himself with determining some positions on the 
river, the north being still blocked with ice. On the 27th of July, while 
absent in the middle of the river with the two companions who alone 
remained with him, the tent on shore took fire and was destroyed before 
they could reach it. Wrangell had, however, the good fortune to save 
his papers and instruments; but the survey of the Kolyma was aban- 
doned, and he returned to Nishni Kolymsk. He found Matinschkin and 
Kyber ready to start for the Aniuj, as previously agreed, and under the 
advice of the latter he retired to the more genial climate of Sredne 
Kolymsk, in the hope of being relieved from the rheumatism, which for 
some time had been growing more troublesome, and now threatened to 
unfit him for prosecuting his future sledge journeys. 

After spending nearly seven weeks among the hospitable Jakuts, near 



WINTER AT LOWER KOLTMSK. 



251 



Sredne Kolymsk, Wrangell, much invigorated by the repose and kindly 
treatment he had enjoyed, proceeded down the river in his shallop, arriv- 
ing at Nishni Kolymsk on the 12th of September. Here he found Res- 
chetnikow returned from his mission to the Baranicha River, where he 
had completed the required buildings. Soon Nechoroshkow joined 
them from the fishing grounds, and reported exceptional success in that 
undertaking. On the 1 ith of October Matinschkin and Kyber, and a 
week later Kosmin, arrived in safety from their respective expeditions, 
and the whole party was thus re-united for the winter at Nishni Kolymsk. 




CHAPTER XXVIII. 

WRANGELL'S THIRD SLEDGE JOURNEY EASTER SUNDAY VIEWS THE 

OPEN SEA EXPLORE THE TUNDRAS — MEET KOSMIN IMPOR- 
TUNITY OF BERESHNOI GENEROSITY OF A JAKUT RETURN TO 

KOLYMSK. 

In preparing for the third journey, Wrangell and his party encoun- 
tered a very serious difficulty. An epidemic broke out among the dogs, 
in which four-fifths of the whole stock perished. By great exertion they 
were able to procure forty-five dogs instead of the ninety-six Wrangell 
had designed to use on his third trip to the north. The Cossacks, who 
were the fortunate owners of most of the dogs that had survived the 
epidemic, now volunteered, in conjunction with some of the other inhab- 
itants, to fit out twenty sledges, each with twelve dogs, for the use of the 
expedition. Wrangell now selected five ti-aveling sledges, and nineteen 
to carry provisions, which last were to be sent back as soon as possible, as 
out of the whole number of dogs, amounting to nearly three hundred, 
only enough for the traveling sledges could be found which were fit 
to make the whole journey. His immediate companions for the trip 
were Matinschkin, Kosmin and Nechorowsky, Kyber being again pre- 
vented, very much against his wishes, by the weak state of his health, 
from accompanying them. Wrangell proposed to make this journey a 
continuation of his former one by proceeding as directly as possible to the 
limit previously attained, and prosecuting his labors from that point. 

With forty days' provisions for the men, and thirty-five for the dogs, 

they set out once more from Sucharnoi Island on the 26th of March, 

1822, reaching the greater Baranow Rock on the next day. On the 28th, 

after clearing the rock, they directed their course toward the northeast 

for the intersection of 71 ° 30' with the meridian of Cape Schelagskoi, 

at a distance from the same of about ninety miles. At a point about 

252 



EASTER SUNDAY. 253 

eighteen miles east of the limit of the previous journey, they made the 
intended deposit of provisions on the 6th of April, and next day dismissed 
the last thirteen of the provision sledges, six having been already sent 
back, and one intermediate deposit of provisions having been established 
on the ist, at yo° 19' by 14' east of the greater Baranow Rock. Ma- 
tinschkin was sent to the northeast on the 6th, with five days' provi- 
sions and two sledges, and Wrangell and Kosmin set out on the yth, 
with the three remaining sledges and three days' provisions, toward the 
north, both parties to return on the 10th to the depot. No land had 
been discovered by either party. On the 12th they resumed their explo- 
ration together toward the north, having found by the previous short 
trips that the way was more open in that direction. The 14th was 
Easter Sunday, which they devoted to rest, the mild weather and bright 
sunshine adding to their enjoyment of the occasion. It was the iSth of 
April before they arrived at the limit reached by Wrangell and Kosmin 
on the 9th, newly-formed hummocks, as well as the enlargement of the 
old ones, being the chief cause of this great disparity in the rate of pro- 
gress. A sick sledge-driver was sent back with two companions and a 
double team of twenty-four dogs, releasing one sledge, which was used 
for repairing the others. A small deposit of provisions was also made. 

There were now but five men, with three sledges and two small tents, 
the largest tent having been turned over by Wrangell to the use of the 
invalid. On the 21st of April, having reached 71 52' by 3 23' east 
of the great Baranow Rock, and the increasing number of new hum- 
mocks rendering further progress extremely difficult, it was determined 
to return. They had about reached the limit of the shore ice of Siberia, 
as they judged, but before turning their backs to the threatening 
north, Matinschkin in a lightly-equipped sledge proceeded six miles 
farther to the north, where all further advance was stopped by the com- 
plete breaking up of the ice, and the near approach to the open water of 
the Polar Sea. He here " beheld the icy sea breaking its fetters; enor- 
mous fields of ice, raised by the waves into an almost vertical position, 
driven against each other with a tremendous crash, pressed downward 
by the fprce of the foaming billows, and reappearing again on the sur- 



254 IN THE TUNDRAS. 

face, covered with the torn-up green mud which everywhere here forms 
the bottom, and which we had so often seen on the highest hummocks. 
On his return Mr. Matinschkin found a great part of the track he had 
passed over already gone, and large spaces which he had just traversed 
now covered with water." He had been gone six hours. Now striking - 
to the west-northwest, they reached 72 ° 2' on the 24th, at a distance of 
151 miles in a straight line from the nearest land, the great Baranow 
Rock, and about 2 50' east of its meridian. Progress in this direction 
was stopped by the same obstacles as before, and it was now determined 
to make for the central depot of provisions. 

On the 4th of May at the distance of forty-six miles from Cape 
Schelagskoi, with a clear sky and an open horizon to the north and east, 
extending twenty-nine miles, and no land in sight, they concluded that 
the "inhabited north country" was probably not to be found in the me- 
ridian of that cape, nor of the Baranow Rocks. Five days later they 
reached their provision depot, which they found uninjured, and resting 
one day for the refreshment of men and dogs, they started for Nishni 
Kolymsk. On the 16th of May, at Pochotsk, they met Lieutenant 
Anjou and party on their return to the Yana River from the islands of 
New Siberia; and on the 17th arrived without serious disaster of anv 
kind, at Nishni Kolymsk, after an absence of fifty-three days, and a jour- 
ney of 7S2 miles. 

EXPLORATIONS IN THE TUNDRAS. 

The only important expeditions of the summer of 1822 were Matinsch- 
kin's journey across the Eastern Tundra, and Wrangell's own trip 
through the Hilly Tundra. They parted company on the 12th of July, 
at Pantelejewka, a few miles north of Nishni Kolymsk, the proposed 
scene of Wrangell's exploration lying almost due north of that point, and 
Matinschkin's away east towaixl Tchaun Bay and Cape Schelagskoi. The 
latter was accompanied by the merchant Bereshnoi, who was bound on a 
trading journey to the Tchuktchis of Tchaun Bay, taking Ostrownoi on 
the way with the hope of securing an interpreter. Arriving there on 
the 22d, they hired Mardowskij, a Tchuwanzian chief who under- 



TRACES OF TCHUKTCHI. 255 

stood the Tchuktchi language, to accompany them. A week later they 
arrived at the Fedoticha River, on the confines of the wide-spreading 
tundras. By this name are designated the mossy flats or vast plains 
which border on the Arctic Ocean, chiefly in Siberia, but also along the 
north coast of Europe. The word originated with the Finns, who call 
these wastes tunturs. They are of the same general character every- 
where, being great tracts of swamp-lands, partly covered over with a 
thick layer of bog-moss, and partly with a dry snow-white covering of 
reindeer-moss and different kinds of lichens and similar Arctic vegetation. 
There are no trees, or even shrubs, and it is only the reindeer that ren- 
ders these frightful wastes habitable for the hordes of aboriginal nomads. 
A great poi'tion of them can only be traversed in winter when frozen 
over; and to these belong the tundras of Northern Siberia which retain a 
covering of snow throughout the year. 

On the 2d of August Matinschkin rejoined Wrangell, who had mean- 
time reached the buildings previ6usly erected on the Great Baranicha; 
and on the 12th crossed the three arms of that river in Kosmin's boat. 
On the 14th they met Kosmin himself, in the shallop, who had come to 
fish in those waters, accompanied by four companions. With his aid 
a light boat was constructed for Matinschkin, who pushed forward on 
the 15th with Bereshnoi, the interpreter, three Jakuts, and sixteen horses. 
On the 26th of August when they had about determined to abandon the 
hitherto fruitless search for the Tchuktchi and turn back, they reached 
the Taunmeo River, and the ensuing day, on the other side, found 
abundant as well as recent traces of that people, who, however, had all 
disappeared some short time before their arrival. 

Bereshnoi was now importunate to turn homeward, and proceeding 
up the river until the first of September, they then turned their faces to 
the west for Nishni Kolymsk, striking the route of the Tchuktchi to the 
annual fair, at Ostrownoi. On the 3d they were without food of any 
kind except a single wild duck which one of the Jakuts had killed, un- 
known to the rest of the party. This he furtively offered to Matinschkin, 
saying: " There, take and eat it alone; it is too little to do good to all 
of us, and you are very tired." The generous offer was, of course, re- 



256 



RETURN TO KOLTMSK. 



fused, and the Jakut's duck was put into the kettle, the broth making a 
refreshing, though light repast for all. On the 5th, after three days' fast- 
ing and great labor in crossing snow-covered hills and ravines, they lay 
down at night on the bank of a stream, in which they exerted them- 
selves to place a net. Matinschkin had suggested the killing of one 
of the horses, but this was overruled, as the Jakuts declared that in 
the heated state of their blood the use of their flesh would cause serious 
illness. Hoping, and yet fearing the downfall of their hopes, they hesi- 
tated to draw the net next morning, and were delighted to find three 
large and several small fishes. They reached the Aniuj the same day, 
and found more fish than they could consume. The surplus they were 
thoughtful enough to place as a deposit for some future travelers; and 
were rejoiced to learn, some months later, that the 5000 fishes they had 
thus taken the trouble to store, were found by some distressed wanderers, 
and supplied them with food for a month. And as if in direct return for 
their thoughtfulness, they themselves found a similar deposit of clothing, 
which they much needed in the daily increasing cold. On the 12th they 
resumed their journey, and four days later arrived at a small settlement, 
where they rested. Matinschkin now concluded to devote the remainder 
of the season to a survey of the country from the Aniuj to Nishni 
Kolymsk, a distance of nearly 300 miles, and took his departure on the 
iSth. He reached Molotkowo on the 25th, in the boat of his friend 
Karkin, by whom himself and Dr. Kyber had been hospitably enter- 
tained the year before. Finally, on the 6th of October, he reached 
Nishni Kolymsk, after an absence of eighty-six days since leaving 
Pantelejewka. 




CHAPTER XXIX. 

WRANGELL's FOURTH SLEDGE JOURNEY START FOR GREATER EAR- 

ANICHA RUMORS OF A NORTHERN CONTINENT AFLOAT 

WRANGELL SEES THE ARCTIC DANGER MEET WITH MATINSCH- 

KIN A NATIVE SPECULATOR SERFDOM CLOSE OF WRAN- 

gell's EFFORTS. 

To secure a good selection of dogs for his fourth journey on the ice 
of the Polar Sea, Wrangell solicited the co-operation of the inhabitants 
on the Indigirka, Chroma and Yana Rivers, and spent a few days of 
November at Uestyansk, at the head of the delta of the last named 
river, with Lieut. Anjou, whose headquarters were at that point. Hav- 
ing obtained the promise of fifteen good teams, or 1S0 dogs, he returned 
to Nishni Kolymsk early in January, 1S23. On the nth of February 
Kosmin started on a special expedition, with two sledges, for the Bear 
Islands, to ascertain definitely whether these were other than those 
they had before seen. He returned on the 1st of March, having made 
a complete re-examination of the whole region, and satisfied himself 
that no other islands existed in those waters. 

All preparations being made, Wrangell divided his party into two 
sections, one under Matinschkin, accompanied by Dr. Kyber, to explore 
the coast from Cape Schelagskoi to Cape North, known to the Tchuk- 
tchis as Capes Erri and Ir-Kaipig, the other under his own immediate 
charge, to search for the " inhabited country " in the Icy Sea to the 
north. 

On the 10th of March they set out with twenty-one sledges to- 
ward the buildings previously erected on the Greater Baranicha. Three 
days later Wrangell was overtaken by a Cossack messenger bearing dis- 
patches from the governor-general of Siberia, and sent back two 
sledges. They reached the buildings the same night, and found the extra 
17 257 



258 RUMORS OF A NORTHERN CONTINENT. 

shelter very desirable, the thermometer having sunk to 42 below zero. 
Three days were consumed in final preparation, repacking the nineteen 
remaining sledges with what they had brought along, and what had 
been previously stored in the buildings. The fourth day was so stormy 
that they could not set out, and it was therefore the 17th of March before 
they were fairly under way on the fourth and last sledge journey over 
the ice of the Polar Sea. In three days they reached Cape Schelagskoi, 
where they met a kaimakai, or chief of the Tchuktchi. A subordinate 
governor in Turkey is known as kaimakam, which suggests a possible 
relationship between this remote aboriginal tribe; or possibly the word 
in that form may have been borrowed from some of the Tartar hordes of 
Siberia. 

Our travelers found the Tchuktchi chief friendly and serviceable, as . 
soon as he became satisfied that their intentions were entirely •pacific. 
From him they learned that the region of the cape was only temporarily 
inhabited by his people for bear hunting purposes, and that it had been 
previously occupied by the Schelagi and Tchewani tribes, whose names 
survive in Cape Schelagskoi and Tchaun Bay, but who had themselves 
migrated westward many years before. When questioned about the 
"inhabited country to the north," he said: " There is a part of the coast 
between the capes, where from some cliffs near the mouth of a river one 
might, on a clear summer day, descry snow-covered mountains at a great 
distance to the north, but that it was impossible to see so far in winter." 
These distant mountains, in his opinion, belonged to an extensive coun- 
try, not to islands; and he had heard from his father that a kaimakai of 
their race had migrated thither with his horde yeai's before in boats, but 
what had become of them was never learned in the country they had left. 
He had himself seen herds of reindeer coming from that land on the ice, 
and landing on the Siberian continent. He also attributed to the inhabi- 
tants of that land the wounding of a whale which was found stranded on 
an island off the coast, with slate-pointed spears still adhering to its body. 
But Wrangell thought it more likely that it had been attacked by the 
inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands, who are known to use just such 
spears. 



CAPE KTBER. 



259 



The latitude of the isthmus back of Cape Schelagskoi where they 
had encamped was found to be 70 3', and the longitude 171 ° 3'. Pro- 
ceeding eastward on the 22d, they arrived at Cape Kosmin, in 70 i' by 




I 7 I ° 55% anc * found the coast line to the east uneven and hilly to the 
mouth of the Werkon, the western headland of which Wrangell named 
Cape Kyber, in honor of the physician of the expedition. It is 280 feet 
high and eleven and a half geographical miles distant from the low east- 



260 ' AFLOAT. 

ern bank of the river. To the small island two miles to the north he 
gave the name of Schalarow Island, in honor of the merchant navigator 
of that name, who perished in this vicinity in i 765* About three miles 
from the shore and in the longitude of the east bank of the Werkon, they 
constructed a depot of provisions, on the 25th, and sent back the empty 
sledges to Nishni Kolymsk. 

The next day they fell in with hummocks at the distance of ten 
miles from the depot, where the crowbars were brought into req- 
uisition; and the 27th was consumed in making three miles. 
Another deposit was now made to lighten the sledges, and eight 
of these were sent homeward. A twenty-three days' supply for men and 
dogs was here buried, and only four sledges and five men remained in 
WrangelFs section. This was at 70 ° 12' by 174 . On the 29th the ice 
on which they were became detached from the main body in a storm, but 
on its subsidence became again united. On the 31st they made only six 
miles, and were only ten miles from the coast. Finding the way due 
north or northeast blocked by impassable hummocks, they struck out 
toward the west-northwest, on the 1st of April, and having gone about 
five miles they came to a place where the covering was thin, new ice, 
too frail to venture on, and encamped on its margin. But the next day, 
seeing no alternative, they risked the new ice, and had the good fortune 
to get across in safety, owing largely to the alertness of the dogs and the 
lightness of the sledges, which bore at this time only a few days' 
provisions. 

Notwithstanding these advantages the trial was extremely dan- 
gerous, as shown by the fact that the heaviest of the sledges broke 
through the thin crust several times, but only to be whisked out the 
more rapidly by the dogs, whose energies were evidently stimulated by a 
keen sense of danger. This was at 70 20' by 174 13', as ascertained 
after crossing. On the night of the 3d, after having made twenty miles, 
they camped among hummocks and surrounded by fissures, where they 
got detached, but succeeded in reaching the main body in the morning by 
a pontoon bridge of ice blocks. Two sledges were here ordered back 
to the depot, and their provisions transferred to the remaining two, with 



DANGER. 261 

which Wrangell determined if possible to move on to the north. On 
the 4th, at 70 51 ' by 1 75° 37' , and distant in a straight line from land 
about sixty miles, they encountered the open water, not less than 300 
yards wide, and extending east and west as far as the eye could reach. 

"We climbed one of the loftiest ice hills," says Wrangell, "affording an 
extensive view toward the north, and from thence we beheld the wide, 
immeasurable ocean spread out before our gaze. It was a fearful and 
magnificent spectacle, though to us a melancholy one. Fragments of ice 
of enormous size were floating on the surface of the agitated ocean, and 
were dashed by the waves with awful violence against the edge of the 
field on the farthest side of the channel before us. These collisions were 
so tremendous that large masses were every instant broken away, and it 
was evident that the portion of ice which still divided the channel from 
the open sea would soon be completely destroyed. Had we made 
the attempt to ferry ourselves across upon one of the detached pieces of 
ice, there would have been no firm footing on reaching the opposite side. 
Even on our own side fresh lanes of water were constantly forming, and 
extending themselves in every direction in the field behind us. We could 
go no farther." 

On the night of the 5th they camped at the second depot of provi- 
sions, where they found the two returned sledges and the supplies intact. 
On the 8th they were in imminent danger, having been detached from 
the main body on a floe of only 150 yards wide. "Every moment," says 
Wrangell, "huge masses of ice floating around us were dashed against 
each other and broken into a thousand fragments. Meanwhile, we were 
tossed to and fro by the waves, and gazed, in helpless inactivity, on the 
wild conflict of the elements, expecting every moment to be swallowed 
up. We had been three long hours in this painful position, and still our 
island held together, when suddenly it was caught by the storm and 
hurled against a large field of ice. The crash was terrific, and we felt 
the mass beneath us giving way, and separating in every dh'ection. At 
that dreadful moment, when destruction seemed inevitable, the impulse 
of self-preservation implanted in every living being saved us. Instinctively, 
and with the quickness of thought, we sprang on the sledges, and urged 



262 GRAVE OF SCHALAROW. 

the dogs to their utmost speed. They flew across the yielding fragments 
of the field against which it had been stranded, and safely reached a 
part of it of firmer character, on which were several hummocks, and 
here the dogs immediately ceased running, apparently conscious that the 
danger was passed." 

Proceeding forward they soon reached the first depot of provisions, 
and taking with them all they could, they hastened to the shore and 
camped under a cliff near the mouth of the Werkon. They spent the 
night in bringing away the l'cmainder of their provisions from the first 
depot; but some they had left at the second could not be reached. On 
the ioth they rested, and ascertained the location, which was found to be 
69 ° 51', by 173 34', on the east side of the Werkon. On the nth 
they made another effort to reach the second depot of provisions, but 
encountered too many water lanes, and returned in six hours, Wrangell 
occupying the interval in examining and naming Cape Kekurnoi, in 69 
51' by 174° 34'. They started eastward on the 14th in the hope of 
falling in with Matinschkin, as their provisions were running low, and 
their northern depot on the ice could not be reached. They had gone 
over forty miles without meeting him, when it became necessary to make 
for the central depot at the Greater Baranicha, two hundred miles to the 
west, with a very poor prospect of being able to reach it, as their pro- 
visions were nearly exhausted. They had scarcely proceeded six miles 
when, to their great joy, they fell in with the object of their search, 
whom they found, as anticipated, in possession of full supplies. Matinsch- 
kin, during his survey of the tundra east of the Werkon, discovered a 
hut on the coast, which both he and Wrangell concluded was the last 
resting place of Schalarow, in 1765, who, therefoi'e, succeeded in the great 
object of his ambition, the doubling of Cape Schelagskoi, but did not 
live to return to civilization. 

Before leaving, they here,6c) 48' by 176 10', established a depot of 
provisions, and sent back eight sledges, retaining three for Matinschkin's 
party, and four for Wrangell's. On the 20th the latter reached Cape 
Yakan, 69 ° 42', by 176 32', whence, according to certain Tchuktchis, 
"the northern country" was sometimes visible. But it failed to appear 



A NATIVE TRADER. 263 

to his close scrutiny. About three miles farther they reached the Yakan 
River. Nine miles to the east, at 69 ° 36', by 176 58', "the warmth of 
the weather obliged them to halt." Here they observed bones of the 
whale stuck upright, and were informed by the Tchuktchis that they 
were the remains of dwellings formerly occupied by a resident tribe, 
which had disappeared. Traveling forty miles from their halting place, 
they arrived at 69 28', by 1 77 44', where they had the good fortune 
to fall in with a lot of driftwood, mostly fir and pine. 

On the 3 1st Matinschkin made one more break for the north, 
taking the ice, with his three sledges, and provisions for fifteen 
days, while Wrangell, Kosmin, and Kyber proceeded east with the 
other four sledges, and provisions for thirteen days. The last-named 
crossed Kuyegan River, twenty-eight miles to the east, and reaching 
6g° 12', by 179 13', seven and a half miles farther, by five o'clock 
the next morning, they halted. Having journeyed thirteen and a 
half miles along the coast, which here trends a little south of east, 
they reached on the morning of the 23d, the headland which Capt. 
Cook had sighted in 177S, and named Cape North. Here they met 
Etel and his tribe of Tchuktchis, who evinced a friendly disposition. 
Inviting Wrangell to his tent, " There," said he, " look well at all those 
things, take from them what you like, and give me in return a gun, and 
powder and shot, as I am very fond of hunting, and am sure I could use 
a gun better than the mountain Tchuktchis, among whom I once saw 
one, and shot with it." A barter was effected for thirteen seals and a 
supply of firewood, which were more valuable than all the household 
treasures of the chief. With Etel as guide, they set out on the 25th for 
Kolyutschin — by Cook named Burney — Island, and having made fifty 
miles, they halted in the night at the huts of two Tchuktchi families 
known to the chief. Twenty-three miles farther on they crossed the 
Ekechta River, also three smaller streams, which fall into the same bay, 
and the Amguyim River. Eight miles beyond, where the tundra again 
gives way to more elevated land, they ascertained the latitude to be 68° 
io', and longitude 182° 6'. They made nearly fifty miles on the second 
day, also, reaching a small settlement on the west bank of the Wankarem 



264 A STRANGE INSTITUTION. 

River, and near the Cape of that name. " There is a remarkable simi- 
larity," says Wrangell, "between the three promontories of Schelagskoi, 
Ir-Kaipij and Wankarem. They all consist of fine grained syenite, with 
greenish white feldspar, dark green hornblende and mica, and are united 
to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The elevation of the headland 
and breadth of the isthmus are greatest at Cape Schelagskoi, and least 
at Cape Wankarem." 

On the 27th, doubling Cape Onman, they sighted Kolyutschin, 
or Burney Island, about twenty miles to the southeast in the en- 
trance to the bay of the same name, looking like a circular moun- 
tain. On the southern shore was a Tchuktchi village, whei-e 
some seventy men soon gathered around the strangers, eager to trade 
whale's flesh, of which they had an abundance, for tobacco and trinkets. 
They rested two days on the island, and not having wherewith to con- 
tinue his barter with the natives, Wrangell now determined to re-tra- 
verse the 600 miles that separated him from Nishni Kolymsk. He had 
reached the point where Captain Billings' survey from the east had left 
off, a generation before. Ascertaining the location of the southern point 
of the island to be 67 27' by 1S4 24', they set out on the return 
trip on the evening of the 29th, and three days later arrived at Etel's 
village, back of Cape North. A peculiarity noticed among the Tchuk- 
tchis of the coast was the existence of a class of servants, entirely depend- 
ent upon the wealthier of the natives, by whom they were fed and clothed 
in return for their services, and not entitled to hold property of any kind; 
in fact, slaves. Of this institution no history or explanation was offered, 
other than that " it had always been so, and must always continue to 
be so." 

On the 6th of May they reached the point whence Matinschkin 
had started northward, and found a cross erected by him, with a notice 
attached stating that he had not been able to get farther than ten miles 
from the coast, owing to the breaking up of the ice. On the 7th they 
slept at Schalarow's hut, and six days later reached the village to the rear 
of Cape Schelagskoi, with their provisions for men and dogs exhausted. 
The natives had had a bad season of hunting and fishing since their de- 



CLOSE OF WR ANGELAS EFFORTS. 265 

parture, and could give them but little assistance. So there was nothing 
to do except to push on for the Greater Baranicha, with dogs foot-sore 
and weary, but eager to get ahead as fast as possible. Reaching their 
supplies on the 15th, they remained two days in camp to rest the over- 
worked animals, and on the 17th resumed their journey. On the 22c! 
they arrived at Nishni Kolymsk, after an absence of seventy-eight days, 
and a round trip of 1330 miles. Matinschkin had arrived on the 16th, 
having taken occasion to survey Tchaun Bay on his return from his fruit- 
less journey to the north. He and Kyber left for St. Petersburg about 
the middle of July, and Wrangell and Kosmin followed toward the end 
of August, 1823. 

Thus closed this remarkable series of sledge journeys over the ice of 
the Polar Sea, leaving the parties engaged therein still disposed to believe 
in the existence of the alleged northern country, the discovery of which 
was denied to their long continued efforts and heroic enduranee. Wran- 
gell suggested that if the attempt should be resumed, Cape Yakan ought 
to be selected as the base of operations. Too much time, energy and 
provisions were necessarily wasted before getting fairly under way from 
Nishni Kolymsk. The ice king of the north had proved unconquerable. 
Four well-planned campaigns had been fought and lost, tbe vanquished 
retiring with only the sense of having bi'avely done their utmost to obtain 
an almost impossible victory. Had they started from Cape Yakan there 
is little reason to doubt that they would have discovered the object of 
their search, of which the southwestern corner was only about one degree 
to the east, and a degree and a half to the north of that point, or about 
103 miles in a direct line to the northeast. 




CHAPTER XXX. 

PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE TO THE NORTHWEST SHARP NATIVES 

CAIRNS DISCOVERED NUMEROUS DISCOVERIES EXPLORATION 

IN BOATS IN WINTER QUARTERS THEATRICALS AS A PASTIME 

ESQUIMAUX SNOW HUTS INTELLIGENCE AMONG NATIVES A 

NORTHERN GEOGRAPHER A SORCERER KILLED BY A FALL. 

The second expedition under Commander Parry comprised the Fury 
of 377 tons, and the Hecla, of the previous expedition, of 375 tons, to be 
accompanied by the transport Nautilus until they reached the ice. The 
instructions were to proceed to Hudson's Strait, and thence through 
Hudson's Bay to Rowe's Welcome, or through Fox Channel to Repulse 
Bay, on the south coast of Melville Peninsula. From the neighborhood 
thus indicated it was hoped a channel might be found to the Pacific, and 
if they should succeed in reaching that ocean by any route, they were to 
proceed through Behring Strait to Kamchatka, and thence to the Sand- 
wich Islands, or to the Canton River, in China, where they were to 
refit and re-victual before returning to England. Though Parry's 
commission was dated Dec. 30, 1820, they did not leave the coast of 
England until May 1, 1821. The Hecla was under the immediate com- 
mand of Capt. George Francis Lyon, and the Nautilus was in charge 
of Lieut. Scymgour. On the 14th of June, in latitude 6o° 48', and lon- 
gitude 53 13', in the entrance to Davis' Strait, they met the first ice- 
berg, and in obedience to instructions took the sui'plus stores of the trans- 
port aboard the Fury and Hecla. 

The Nautilus was ready for dismissal on the first of July, when 
she proceeded on the homeward voyage, and her late consorts made 
for the ice. Two days later these were stopped by the ice-floe, 
with over thirty icebergs in sight, and on the 5th were completely 

beset by the ice, against which they were often driven with some 

266 



UNNATURAL PARENTS. 261 

violence, but without serious injury, both being very strongly built, and 
well adapted for the rough usage they received. Eight days later they 
sighted two vessels of the Hudson Bay Company, and on the 14th the 
Lord Wellington, with 160 settlers, mostly foreigners, for the Red River 
of the North. A week later, by constant effort in taking advantage of 
every opening, and by forcing their way where no such opening offered, 
they reached 6 1 ° 50' 13" by 67 7' 35", in the entrance of Hudson's 
Strait, and in sight of S;iddle-back Island. Here, while anchored to an 
ice-floe about four or five miles from land, they were visited by over one 
hundred Esquimaux, male and female, all very eager to traffic, but by no 
means willing to part with their wares at a sacrifice. Parry found this 
tribe or horde much less honorable than the small body he had encoun- 
tered the previous year. They were ready to steal all they could, and 
even offered to baiter their children for goods. " They seem to have 
acquired," says Parry, " by an annual intercourse with our ships for 
nearly a hundred years, many of the vices which unhappily attend a first 
intercourse with the civilized world, without having imbibed any of the 
virtues or refinements which adorn and render it happy." 

On Sunday, the 22d of July, a favorable wind arose, and they pro- 
ceeded rapidly, under all sail, through the Straits, finding ample open- 
ings between the ice-floes. They were not a little surprised at the 
amount of rocks, shells and weeds which they noticed on these floes. 
" Masses of rocks," says the observant commander, " not less than a 
hundred pounds in weight, are sometimes observed in the middle of a 
floe, measuring half a mile or more each way, and of which the whole 
surface is more or less covered with smaller stones, sand and shells." 

On the first of August they arrived off Southampton Island, and 
were visited by some natives with whom they changed commodities. 
" Many of the jackets of these people, and particularly those of the 
females, -were lined with the skins of birds, having the feathers inside." 
Skirting the north coast of this large island or group, they arrived on 
the 15th, at a bold headland, which Parry named Cape Bylot, judging it 
to be the most western point seen by the navigator of that name in Fox 
Channel, in 1615. Having soon arrived within five or six miles of the 



268 



AN ARCTIC NECROPOLIS. 



entrance to what Capt. Middleton had named the Frozen Strait in 1742, 
the commander, accompanied by Mr. Ross, went ashore east of Cape 
Welsford, where they found the coast about 1 000 feet high, but indented 
with a number of small caves at short intervals between the projecting 
caves of gneiss. In one of these they improvised a tent and remained 
over night; but a favorable wind arising they hastened aboard on the 
morning of the 17th, and making all sail, discovered " one of the most 
secure ami extensive harbors in the whole world," which they named 



Duke of York's Bay, 
opening south from Cape 
Welsford. They here 
found the remains of an 
extensive Esquimaux en- 
campment, which they 
judged to be capable of 
accommodating over 120 
persons. These huts did 
not present any novel 
features of construction, 
but three miles farther 
inland they fell in with 1H 
what they judged to be 




DRESS OF NATIVES. 



Here they found nine or 
ten cairns, about three 
feet in height, and as 
many wide at the base. 
In a cursory examination 
they found one skull, and 
a n u m b e r of small 
objects, such as arrow 
heads, spear heads, and 
miniature canoes — repre- 
sentatives of the imple- 
ments most used by the 
deceased during life. 

On August 21 they 
•a r rived, through the 



a native burial ground. 
Frozen Strait, at the northern entrance of Rowe's Welcome, in thick 
weather, and passing its northeastern headland, the Cape Frigid, 
of Middleton, they found themselves on the 2 2d, in the land-locked 
inlet to the northwest, known as Repulse Bay. They ascertained 
their exact situation to be in latitude 66° 30' 58", just 58", or about 
one mile north of the Arctic Circle, and in longitude 86° 30' 20". 
Having been instructed to " keep along the line of this coast to 
the northward, always examining everv bend or inlet which might 
appear likely to afford a practicable passage to the westward," 
over six weeks were spent in carefully following, examining and 
surveying the coast line for about 600 miles. They discovered Hurd's 



DIFFICULTIES OF ICE NAVIGATION. 269 

Channel, so called in honor of Thomas Hurd, hydrographer to the 
British Admiralty, Gore Bay, Lyon Inlet, Hoppner Inlet, and Ross Bay, 
besides Bushman, Vansittart, and Sturges Bourne Islands, Cape Mon- 
tague and Brook's Bluff", named in honor of the officers of the expedi- 
tion. They began their slow northern progress on the 23d of August, 
and went into winter quarters on the Sth of October. Before that date 
they had found new ice of the season beginning to form, and Parry thus 
describes the obstruction it presents to successful navigation: 

" The formation of young ice upon the surface of the water 
is the circumstance which most decidedly begins to put a stop to 
the navigation of these seas, and warns the seaman that his season 
of active operations is nearly at an end. It is indeed scarcely pos- 
sible to conceive the degree of hindrance occasioned by this im- 
pediment, trifling as it always appears before it is encountered. 
When the sheet has acquired a thickness of about half an inch, 
and is of considerable extent, a ship is liable to be stopped by it unless 
frtvored by a strong and free wind; and even when still retaining her 
way through the water at the rate of a mile an hour, our course is not 
always under the control of our helmsman, but depends upon some acci- 
dental decrease or increase in the thickness of the sheets of ice with 
which one bow or the other comes in contact. A ship in this helpless 
state, her sails in vain expanded to a favorable breeze, her ordinary re- 
sources failing, and suddenly arrested in her course upon the element 
through which she has been accustomed to move without restraint, has 
often reminded me of Gulliver tied down by the feeble hands of Lilli- 
jDiitians. Nor are the struggles she makes to effect her release, and the 
apparent insignificance of the means by which her efforts are opposed, 
the least just or least vexatious part of the resemblance." 

They were at one time driven across to Southampton Island, finding 
themselves, on the 2d of September, almost at the spot they had 
left on the 6th of August, which serves " to show," says Parry, " the 
value of even the smallest geographical information in seas where not an 
hour must be thrown away, or unprofitably employed." On the 5th of 
September they again sailed northward, and leaving the ships in as 




570 



IN WINTER QUARTERS. 271 

sheltered spots as could be found, they carried on the exploration of the 
coast in repeated trips by boat, using the ships as a base of supplies, to 
which they returned when needful. Thus they labored indefatigably 
until the 8th of October, when the new ice was already three and a half 
inches thick. " In reviewing the events of this, our first season of navi- 
gation," says Parry, " and considering what progress we had made 
toward the accomplishment of our main object, it was impossible, how- 
ever trifling that object might appear on the chart, not to experience con- 
siderable satisfaction. Small as our actual advance had been toward 
Behring's Strait, the extent of coast newly discovered and minutely ex- 
plored in pursuit of our object in the course of the last eight weeks, 
amounted to more than two hundred leagues, nearly half of which be- 
longed to the Continent of North America. This service, notwithstand- 
ing our constant exposure to the risks which intricate shoal and unknown 
channels, a sea loaded with ice, and a rapid tide concurred in presenting, 
had providentially been effected without injury to the ships, or suffering 
to the officers and men; and we had now once more met with tolerable 
security for the season." 

IN WINTER QUARTERS. 

The bay selected for winter quarters on what they named Winter 
Island, at the entrance to Lyon's Inlet, "was," says Parry, "as fine a 
roadstead as could be desired if situated in a more temperate climate," 
but was entirely open to the south. The ships were therefore exposed 
to a double danger from ice-floes driven against them from the south, or 
against which they might be driven if torn from their moorings by a gale 
from the north. The chief protection was from the new-made ice be- 
tween them and the heavier bodies to the south, and in the commander's 
fertility of resource in any emergency which might arise. Having per- 
fected their arrangements for the security of the ships and stores, as well 
as for the warmth and comfort of officers and men — substantially the 
same as on the previous expedition, but with the improvements sug- 
gested by that experience — they were ready to be amused. After a few 
days spent in "rigging the theater," the season of 1S21-2 opened auspi- 



272 ESQUIMAUX SNOW-HUTS. 

ciously on the 9th of November, -with Sheridan's comedy of " The 
Rivals," Capt. Lyon taking the place of manager, so acceptabhy filled by 
Lieut. Beechey of the former expedition. Musical concerts alternated 
with theatrical representations, and a school was opened, but the news- 
paper venture does not seem to have been renewed. Christmas was 
celebrated with such of the usual observances and festivities as they could 
command, and the general health was excellent, there being only a sin- 
gle case of sickness, the carpenter's mate. " To increase our ordinary 
issue of anti-scorbutics, liberal as it already was," says Parry, " we had 
from the commencement of the winter adopted a regular system of grow- 
ing mustard and cress, which the superior warmth of the ships now ena- 
bled us to do on a larger scale than before. Each mess, both of the offi- 
cers' and ship's company, was for this purpose furnished with a shallow 
box filled with mold, in which a crop could generally be raised in from 
eight to ten days." On the iSth of January, 1S22, the stove-pipe in the 
commander's cabin took fire, creating a momentary alarm, but no dam- 
age. On the 1st of February they were very agreeably surprised by a 
visit from a party of Esquimaux, who had settled in winter quarters 
about two miles from the ships. A small party of English accompanied 
them to the village, which consisted of five huts recently erected. The 
establishment comprised sixty persons, with their dogs, sledges and 
canoes. On examination it was found that the huts were made entirely 
of snow and ice. "After creeping through two low passages having each 
its arched doorway, we came to a small circular apartment, of which the 
roof was a perfect arched dome. From this three doorways, also arched, 
and of larger dimensions than the outer ones, led into as many inhabited 
apartments, one on each side, and the other facing us as we entered. The 
women were seated on the beds at the sides of the huts, each having her 
little fireplace or lamp, with all her domestic utensils about her. The 
children crept behind their mothers, and the dogs slunk past us in dis- 
may. The construction of this inhabited part of the hut was similar to 
that of the outer apartment, being a dome formed by separate blocks of 
snow laid with great regularity, and no small art, each being cut into 
the shape required to form a substantial arch, from seven to eight feet 



274 PARRY'S EULOGT ON THE NATIVES. 

high in the center, and having no support whatever except what this prin- 
ciple of building supplies. Sufficient light was admitted into these curi- 
ous edifices by a circular window of ice, neatly fitted into the roof of each 
apartment." The unexpected cleanliness of these huts astonished the vis- 
itors, but they afterward found that it was largely due to their newness. 
The usage of a few months made them much less .attractive, but the tribe 
were nevertheless judged to be more neat than most of their race. With 
one or two exceptions they were found to be honest, and in their domes- 
tic relations quite affectionate. One of the boys declined all overtures to 
leave his parents because it would make them cry. The women were 
occupied -with the usual domestic cai'es, and not required to take part in 
fishing or hunting. But few of them could count beyond five, and were 
slow to learn English. Yet within the range of their own experience 
they were sharp and alert. They kept themselves comfortably and 
neatly clothed, and were ingenious in devising means of providing for 
their wants. When their supply of food ran low for a few days, and the 
ship's bounty was extended to them, it was noticed that their first care, 
before partaking of any of it, was to hurry back to the village to feed their 
little ones. 

There "was noticeable among them the usual variety of disposition 
and intellect; and Parry grows enthusiastic over one of the boys in 
whom he recognized an aptness to learn, which would have made him a 
famous scholar in England. His sister, Iligliuk, also attracted their no- 
tice by her marked intelligence and love of music, and became useful as 
an interpreter between the English and the more stolid or indifferent of 
the tribe. Having observed that they were acquainted with the four^car- 
dinal points of the compass, the commander marked them on a sheet of 
jDaper, on which he designated also a spot to represent the location of the 
ships. Iligliuk was then requested " to complete the rest, and to do it 
mikkee (small), when, with a countenance of the most grave attention 
and peculiar intelligence, she drew the coast of the continent beyond her 
own country, as lying nearly north from Winter Island. The most im- 
portant part still .remained, and it would have amused an unconcerned 
looker-on to have observed the anxiety and suspense depicted on the 



SOUVENIRS. 275 

countenances of our part of the group till this was accomplished, for 
never were the tracings of a pencil marked with more earnest solicitude. 
Our surprise and satisfaction may, therefore, in some degree be imagined, 
when, without taking the pencil from the paper, Iligliuk brought the 
continental coast short round to the westward, and afterward to the south- 
southeast, so as to come within a few days' journey of Repulse Bay. 
The country thus situated upon the shores of the Western or Polar 
Sea is called Akkoolee (now Melville Peninsula), and is inhabited by 
numerous Esquimaux; and half way between that coast and Repulse 
Bay, Iligliuk drew a lake of considerable size, having small streams 
from it to the sea on each side. To this lake her countrymen are annu- 
ally in the habit of resorting during summer, and catch there large fish 
of the salmon kind, while on the banks are found abundance of reindeer. 
To the "westward of Akkoolee, as far as they can see from the hills, which 
she described as high ones, nothing can be seen but one wide, extended 
sea. Being desirous of seeing whether Iligliuk would interfere with 
Wager River (about ioo miles to the south of Winter Island, opening 
to the west from Rowe's Welcome), as we know it to exist, I requested 
her to continue the coast line to the southward of Akkoolee, when she 
immediately dropped the pencil and said she knew no more about it." 
" Others of the more intelligent of the tribe being tested on the same 
subject, "their delineations of the coast made without any concert among 
them, agreed in a surprising manner." From the head of Repulse Bay 
to the northern sea of these Esquimaux, now known as the Gulf of 
Boothia, was three senicks (sleeps), or days' journey. 

" Considering it desirable," says Parry, " to increase by all the means 
in our power the chances of these people giving information of us, we 
distributed among several of the men large round medallions of sheet 
copper, having these words punched through them : ' H. B. M. S. Fury 
and Hecla, all well, A. D. 1S22*"' Smaller medals with " Fury and 
Hecla, 1 82 3," only, -were given to the women, to be shown to any Kab- 
loona (Europeans) they might fall in with. Five or six of the most de- 
serving men were presented with staffs for their spears, into the wood of 
which wei"e driven small nails forming the words "Fury and Hecla, 1823." 



276 A SORCEROR. 

As the weather grew warmer, the huts were felt to be too confined, 
and they proceeded to enlarge them in a manner highly creditable to 
their ingenuity. They built the new around and over the old, which 
they then removed from within. They had early exhibited to their vis- 
itors, at the commander's request, the method of construction, erecting 
one in their presence in a few hours. Parry and' some others accom- 
panied them in one of their seal-fishing expeditions, and noted with sur- 
prise and admiration the skill, patience and endurance with which they 
carried on that important business. "It was impossible not to admire the 
fearlessness as well as dexterity with which the Esquimaux invariably 
pursued it." Among other noteworthy characteristics of these people it 
was observed that, although the seal or walrus, or whatever else they 
succeeded in catching, was invariably taken to the hut of the party im- 
mediately concerned in securing it, all others were made partakers of 
this good fortune. Early in March a number of them transferred their 
residence to the ice, some five or six miles from the ships, perhaps for 
greater convenience in fishing, and quickly erected four new huts. 
Some two weeks later they were joined by others from the old village, 
and a few erected huts near the ships; but far or near, intercourse was 
kept up. The English noted many superstitious practices among them; 
and one was found to be an acknowledged angetkook, or sorceror, "who 
was believed to have a toomgonv^ or familiar spirit. He was about 
forty-five years of age, and bore the name of Ewerat. He did not seem 
to be a conscious impostor, but on the contrary, was a sensible, obliging 
man, and a first-rate seal catcher. When appealed to on occasion of ill- 
ness, or for other purpose, to exercise his art, »' his lips began to quiver, 
his nose moved up and down, his eyes gradually closed, and the vio- 
lence of his grimaces increased until every feature was hideously dis- 
torted; at the same time he moved his head rapidly from side to side, 
uttering sometimes a snuffling sound, and at others a raving sort of cry. 
Having worked himself into this ridiculous sort of frenzy, which lasted 
perhaps from twenty to thirty seconds, he suddenly discontinued it and 
suffered his features to relax into their natural form; but the motion of 
his head seemed to have so stupefied him, as indeed it well might, that 



DEATH FROM A FALL 



277 



there remained an unusual vacancy and a drowsy stare upon his counte- 
nance for some time afterward. Togalat, his wife, asked him in a se- 
rious tone some questions respecting me, which he as seriously answered." 
Early in May Capt. Lyon, accompanied by Lieut. Palmer, five sea- 
men and three marines, was dispatched on an exploring expedition, with 
provisions for twenty days. He was instructed, after crossing to the con- 
tinent to proceed along that coast to the northward, carefully examining 
any bend or inlet he might ineet with, so as to leave no doubt, if possible, 
of its actual extent and communications, thereby preventing the neces- 
sity of the ships entering it on their arrival there." The result of this 
expedition, from which they returned in safety on the evening of the 
2 ist, was to confirm what they had learned from Iligliuk, of the con- 
formation of the mainland, around the northern extremity of which they 
hoped to find the coveted passage to the Polar Sea. On the 15th James 
Pringle, a seaman, was instantly killed by falling from the topmast to 
the deck of the Hecla; and forty days later they lost two men on the 
Fury, by disease; William Souter, quartermaster, after a short illness, 
and the invalid, Reid. 




CHAPTER XXXI. 

PARRY ATTEMPTS TO FREE HIS SHIPS IGLOOKLIK ISLAND A NE- 
CROPOLIS SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF THE POLAR SEA HECLA 

AND FURY STRAIT GLUTTONY UNUSUAL PHENOMENON — - 

MELVILLE PENINSULA EXPLORED SUCCESSFUL ANGLING STILL 

BESET DEATH FROM SCURVY WELCOME AT SHETLAND 

ISLANDS. 

From the 3d to the 21st of June they were engaged in cutting canals 
for the ships to escape to sea whenever an opportunity offered. This 
opportunity was supplemented by the action of the ice itself toward the 
close of their labors. On the 19th a body of sea ice was driven by a 
southerly breeze against the bay ice, which, weakened by their labors, 
broke asunder, forming a new channel, but closing the canal they had 
constructed. In a few days the action of the wind and tide, reversed, re- 
opening the artificial channel, into which they hastened to float some 
loose masses of ice to keep the sides from being again driven together. 
It was not, however, till the 2d of July, after almost nine months' deten- 
tion, that the ships were able to leave the roadstead. Sailing northward, 
they were in great danger from ice-floes and icebergs until the 12th, 
when they reached, in latitude 6j° 18', the mouth of a river, where they 
anchored. This they named Barrow River, in honor of Sir John Bar- 
row, secretary to the admiralty, and an active promoter of Arctic voy- 
ages. On the next day, in pushing their exploration up stream, they 
found a beautiful cascade of two falls of ninety and fifteen feet, respec- 
tively. Higher up they found two other smaller cataracts; and were, alto- 
gether, much delighted with the novelty of the experience. Their 
pleasure was further enhanced by the richness of the vegetation on its 
banks, and the killing of some reindeer. Leaving Barrow River with a 

favorable wind they soon reached a headland, which they named Cape 

278 



IGLOOKLIK ISLAND. 



279 



Penrhyn, and on the next day encountered great numbers of walrus, as 
they had been led to expect from the accounts previously given by Ilig- 
liuk and the other Esquimaux. They were seen lying in large herds 
upon loose pieces of drift-ice, huddled close together, and even upon one 
another, not less than two hundred being in gunshot. They killed a few 
and found the flesh palatable, though somewhat objectionable at first, 
because of its dark color. 

On the 1 6th they arrived at the entrance of the channel which Ilig- 
liuk had marked on the chart as opening to the west, but only to find it 
closed by an unbroken sheet of ice. Here they encountered some Esqui- 
maux, with whom they landed on Iglooklik Island. The encampment 
comprised sixteen tents, in two divisions 
of eleven and five, half a mile apart. 
These natives were found willing to 
exchange commodities, but altogether 
unaccustomed to receiving anything 
without giving an equivalent. Unfor- 
tunately the visitoi-s, in their desire to 
win the confidence of these simple 
people, began to bestow presents, and 
naturally they soon became as -willing 
as their kindred on Winter Island, and 
others of the same race elsewhere, to take gifts 
in the tents, to which they had been driven back from the sea 
by the stress of weather, the visitors gained their ships and stood 
to the west. They, however, made but little progress, and landed 
again on the 23d, to visit the village, having meanwhile been 
visited on shipboard by the Esquimaux. This time they had an 
opportunity of inspecting the permanent villages at the distance of less 
than a mile inland from the tents. These were of the same shape 
as the snow huts on Winter Island, but of different material. Here 
the lower part of the circle was of stone, and the rest of bones of 
the whale and walrus, gradually inclining inward and meeting at the top, 
with the interstices filled with turf, a layer of which also covered the 




ILIGLIUK. 

After a night spent 



280 SUPPOSED DISCOVERT OF POLAR SEA. 

whole of the outside. This, with the added layer of snow which envel- 
oped the whole structure in winter, made these huts quite warm. The 
entrance is always from the south, and consists of a passage ten feet long 
and not more than two in height and width, through which, therefore, 
it is necessary to crawl to gain the hut. These passages are made of flat 
slabs or large stones, and like the huts, are covered with turf to keep out 
the cold. Lying all around were seen great quantities of bones of the 
whale, walrus, seal, as well as bears, wolves and dogs. The visitors 
■were not a little shocked to find human bones among the others. But a 
greater surprise was in store for them ; for as soon as they were seen to 
put a skull or two into their bags, the natives volunteered to hunt up 
some more, which they thrust into the same receptacles, with no more 
compunction than if they had been the skulls of wolves, instead of per- 
haps their own grandfathers. 

On the 24th they were able to get some salmon from a late arrival in 
the village, who stated that more could be obtained at a distance of three 
days' journey. Capt. Lyon, accompanied by George Dunn, volunteered 
to go with the new-comer, Toolemak, in search of the coveted salmon. 
Equipped with the necessary supplies and four days' provisions, they set 
out, but were prevented by open water from reaching the designated 
fishing-ground in their sledges. On the 27th, while on this excursion, 
Lyon discovered over thirty small islands, A^arying in size from a hun- 
dred yards to a mile or more in length, which he named Coxe's Group. 
Meanwhile, the ships waited in vain for the breaking ap of , the ice, and 
could only gain at intervals of several days a half-mile or so, as an occa- 
sional break would occur. On the 14th of August the commander, with 
one officer and four men, and ten days' provisions, set out to reach, if pos- 
sible, a point on the mainland whence he could overlook the strait. On 
the 1 8th they reached the desired point, whence, looking to the west, they 
could see no land, and quite naturally inferred that they had discovered 
the Polar Sea, in what is now known as the Gulf of Boothia. The nar- 
row channel at their feet, connecting Fox Channel with this sea, Parry 
named the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, which it still retains. It varies 
in width from eight to forty miles, and is studded with islands. Its west- 



HECLA AND FURT STRAIT. . 281 

ern entrance is in latitude 70 and longitude 85 °. Returning on the 
20th, the ships slowly labored to the west, and on the 26th were at 
the entrance to the narrows, when their way was again effectually 
blocked by a continuous line of unbroken ice lying right across the strait. 
This they tried to bore through by crowding sail, and did succeed in 
penetrating to a distance of 300 yards, but were compelled to desist. 
Casting anchor on the edge of the floe, they reconnoitered on all sides, 
and on the 29th found an opening which enabled them to push a little to 
the west, to the vicinity of what was afterward named Amherst Island. 
Three exploring parties, under Capt. Lyon and Lieuts. Reid and 
Palmer, were now dispatched in the hope of finding an open chan- 
nel. On the 3d of September the commander set out on the same errand 
at the head of a small party, and satisfied himself that there was no nav- 
igable passage for ships in that latitude. The investigations of the oth- 
ers tended to confirm this opinion; and nothing remained but to await 
the dislodgment of the ice, which it did not seem probable would occur 
that season. Here they lay until the 17th, without any opportunity to 
advance, and finding the new ice rapidly forming around the ships, they 
concluded to return to Iglooklik Island for winter quarters. On the 24th 
they arrived in front of where the Esquimaux encampment had been 
when they had first entered those waters, and soon saw their old friends 
scampering from the huts to the beach to greet them. 

After some days spent in exploring the neighboring islands in boats, 
and receiving additional confirmation that the Strait of the Fury and 
Hecla was the only channel to the west, they settled down to the work 
of berthing the ships. This occupied the first half of October, and the 
same provision was made for the security of the ships and stores, as well 
as for the health and comfort of the men, as on former occasions. The 
daily visits of the friendly natives were a never-ending source of interest 
and amusement to officers and men, which no resources of their own 
could have so well supplied. This enabled them to dispense with the 
labor of theatrical representations, which had also lost their novelty and 
attractiveness. They secured a sheltered space for exercise and recrea- 
tion by erecting high snow walls, which, not only added sensibly to the 



282 GL UTTONT. 

warmth of the ships, but was moreover a protection against snow 
drifts. 

The Esquimaux suffered from scarcity of provisions before the close 
of the winter, though with anything like economy they could easily have 
lived on the supplies the}' had provided in advance, as it seemed to their 
English friends. It had already been often noticed what immense quan- 
tities of food they could consume; and it was now thought worth while 
to make a careful test of their powers in that direction. For this pur- 
pose a young man, scarcely full grown, was selected, and left at entire lib- 
erty to eat all he wanted of staple food previously weighed. It was 
found that in twenty hours he had consumed Sj4 lbs. of sea-horse flesh 
— half being supplied frozen and half boiled — and 1 ^ lbs. of bread, be- 
sides i J yl pints of gravy, soup, 1 gallon of water, 1 tumbler of whisky 
and water, and three wine glasses of raw spirits. There was no evi- 
dence of gorging or over-feeding in this performance, and the party con- 
cerned did not manifest any sense of having consumed an abnormal 
quantity of food. The English had, however, noticed a tendency to de- 
liberate gorging in other instances, especially when plenty succeeded 
privation. Some were seen in the huts so distended by the quantity of 
walrus-meat they had eaten, that they were unable to move, and com- 
plained of severe pain, which the observers could only ascribe to that 
cause. They inferred that a great part of the illness from which the in- 
habitants of Iglooklik suffered, and of the deaths which ensued, was due 
to the frequent changes from excessive to insufficient feeding. On Win- 
ter Island, where there was less fluctuation in this respect, there had been 
but little sickness and no deaths, the preceding winter, among the natives. 

For the first time in Parry's Arctic experience, he frequently saw 
"hard, well-defined clouds, a feature he had hitherto considered as almost 
unknown in the winter sky of the Polar regions." And in the spring, 
about the time of the sun's reappearance, "the glowing richness of the 
tints with which they were adorned," excited his admiration. "An- 
other peculiarity observed in this winter, was the rare occurrence of the 
Aurora Borealis, and the extraordinary poverty of its display whenever 
it did make its appearance. It was almost invariably seen to the south- 



MELVILLE PENINSULA EXPLORED. 283 

ward ; never exhibited any of those rapid and complicated movements ob- 
served in the course of the preceding winter; and did not produce any 
sensible effect on the gold leaf in the electrometer." 

On the 20th of April the commander announced to the officers and 
crew of both ships that the Hecla was to return to England on the open- 
ing of navigation, and an opportunity was given to such of her officers 
and men as chose to volunteer to remain with the expedition. On the 
5th of May, with the aid of their dogs, the necessary transfer of provi- 
sions and stores for one year was made from the Hecla to the Fury, 
without any exposure or labor to the crews outside their respective ships. 
As an illustration of what the dogs could achieve, Parry states "that 
nine dogs of Captain Lyon's dragged 1,611 pounds a distance of 1,7^0 
yards in nine minutes, and that they worked in a similar way between 
the ships for seven or eight hours a day." The road was, however, very 
good at this time, and the dogs the best that could be procured. 

On the 7th of June, having previously made all necessary prepara- 
tions, Captain Lyon, accompanied by two men and ten dogs, and the 
necessary provisions for a trip of thirty days, set out for an exploration 
of Akkoolee, which they had named Melville Peninsula. A slight ex- 
ploration of the land across the strait — which they named Cockburn 
Island, believing it to be such from information received of the Esqui- 
maux — had been made before going into winter quarters. Parry accom- 
panied Lyon for a few days with a small party in the hope of finding 
Toolemak's salmon lake on the route. They found the lake, but after 
twenty-four hours fishing through a hole in the ice, they failed to catch 
any salmon or fish of any kind. Lyon had started south on the 9th, 
parting company with Parry and his companions, who occupied them- 
selves in shooting ducks and making observations until the 14th, when 
they returned to the ships, with thirty or forty ducks each. On the 30th 
some Esquimaux from the vicinity of Pond's Inlet, visited Iglooklik 
and the ships. They had seen the English whalers on their native 
coast of Toonoonck, and their sledge was made from pieces of 
some vessel wrecked or damaged there. They informed him of the 
wreck on that coast, of two ships, which he afterward ascertained 




ESQUIMAUX FISHING. 



284 



APPEAL TO THE GODDESS OF FISHING. 285 

were the Dexterity of Leith, and the Aurora of Hull, which were 
abandoned on the 28th of August, 1821, about the latitude of 72 on the 
west coast of Baffin's Bay. On the 24th Parry set out again, this time 
in company with Toleemak, for the salmon fishery, and reaching it as 
before within two days, by sledge, they succeeded, after several hours' 
fishing on tbe 25th and 26th, in catching one small fish — only one, not- 
withstanding the earnest supplications of Toolemak and his wife to the 
goddess of fishing, entreating her special graciousness to the good Kab- 
loona who had done so much for her faithful Esquimaux. On the 27th, 
in another pool, Toolemak had better success, and before leaving for the 
ships on the 28th, he directed the English to a stream at some distance, 
which proved to be the true salmon fishery. On the 1st of July they 
found the spot and saw the remains of two salmon that had been thrown 
upon the ice, and returned on the 2d to the ships, intending to send out a 
fishing party for whose use they left behind their fishing equipment. On 
this trip, when they had gone into camp at ten o'clock the first night out, 
Parry found that his team of ten dogs had drawn his sledge, loaded with 
about 1,200 pounds, a distance of forty statute miles, half of the road 
being very indifferent. Lyon had however, returned unsuccessful from 
the mainland. 

They were now visited by a party of twenty Esquimaux from 
the shores of Baffin's Bay, and the same region as their former visitors. 
These also were acquainted with the story of the abandonment of the 
two whalers. Lieutenant Hoppner now conceived the idea of crossing 
Cockburn Island to the scene of the disaster, with one of the twenty as 
guide, but found the whole party, together with what might be termed 
the resident Esquimaux, had abandoned Iglooklik on the qth. It now 
became necessary for the English to provide walrus-meat for their dogs, 
and four boats were so engaged for three weeks. 

On the 1 6th Hoppner returned, having only reached the south coast 
of Cockburn Island, beyond which his guides had not yet determined to 
proceed. Two of the Esquimaux accompanied Hoppner's party to the 
ships, loaded with various useful presents, and returned the next day to 
their fishing grounds. On the 19th the party which had been sent to the 



286 THE HECLA FREED. 

salmon stream returned, with ample proof that Toolemak had not been 
deceiving them with an Esquimaux fish story; for they brought back 
640 pounds of salmon, besides ninety-five of venison. The fish varied in 
length from twenty to twenty-six inches, and one of the largest, when 
cleaned, weighed eight and a half pounds. Toward the end of the month 
symptoms of scurvy appeared in four or five of the crew of the Fury, but 
soon yielded to medical treatment. 

The 1st of August, 1823, had now arrived, and yet the ships were as 
securely held by the ice as in mid-winter. On the 4th they began to saw 
the ice, and on the 8th the ice about the Fury began to move under a 
northern breeze, when, crowding sail on the ship, she was got entirely 
free; but the Hecla still remained beset. On the next day she, with the 
floe in which she was embedded, was carried out to where the swell of 
the sea soon broke away the ice girdle, and she "was also free. Mean- 
while, Parry, with 'the concurrent advice of his officers, had determined 
not to risk another winter in these regions, "with the small hope there 
was of penetrating to the "west in the short season that remained. Both 
ships returned to their late winter quarters, which they named Turton 
Bay, to lighten the Fury by the re-transfer of the surplus stores, and to 
make their arrangements for final departure from the scene of their ten 
months' detention. On the 12th they sailed away to the southeast under 
a favorable wind, and on the morning of the 1.4th were off Ooglit Island, 
twelve leagues distant from Iglooklik. Here they received a final visit 
from a number of their Esquimaux friends, whom they loaded down 
with gifts, being more free to give what they would no longer need, 
as the ships were now bound for home and plenty. Full rations had 
been restored to the men, and entire freedom in the use of anti-scorbutics, 
the recognized tendency to scurvy in numbers of the officers and men 
having been perhaps the most weighty influence in determining the 
commander to forego his contemplated purpose of spending another 
season in the attempt to get through the Strait of the Fuiy and the 
Hecla. On the 27th they were able to leave Owlitteewik Island, having 
made but little progress for the preceding fortnight. Now, however, be- 
ing less beset by ice, and again favored by a breeze from the north, they 



WELCOME AT LERWICK. 287 

proceeded more rapidly to the south, and on the 31st they reached Winter 
Island. The distance from* Ooglit was about 160 miles; of these thev 
had really sailed only forty, having drifted the remainder with the ice by 
which they were beset, showing an average drift rate of fifteen miles a 
day, and five of sailing. On the 6th of September, Fife, Greenland or 
ice master of the Hecla, died of the scurvy, owing partly to his own aver- 
sion to the use of unpalatable remedies. They continued to be embar- 
rassed by the ice — one or the other of the ships being in immediate dan- 
ger of destruction, or at least serious injury, or permanent detention — 
until the 17th, when at length they were able to make due east in an 
open sea across Fox Channel for Hudson's Strait. 

Passing by Trinity Islands on the iSth, and meeting no obstruction 
from ice or other cause in Hudson's or Davis' Straits, they made a quick 
voyage across the Atlantic, reaching the Orkneys in three weeks from 
the western entrance of Hudson's Strait, on Oct. 9, after an absence 
of twenty-seven months. On the 10th they entered the harbor of Ler- 
wick in the Shetland Islands, finding it impossible to proceed south be- 
cause of adverse winds, which also kept them weather-bound for three 
days, in Bressa Sound. " On the first information of our arrival," says 
Parry, " the bells of Lerwick were set ringing, the inhabitants flocked 
from the country to express their joy at our unexpected return, and the 
town was at night illuminated, as if each individual had a brother or a 
son among us." On the 13th they proceeded south, arriving off Buchan 
Ness on the next day. On the 16th Parry left the ships, going ashore at 
Whitby, whence he proceeded by land to London. Arriving on the 
morning of the 1 8th, he went at once to the Admiralty to give an account 
of his second voyage to the northwest. The ships soon arrived safely in 
the Thames, with 113 out of 118 officers and men in good health, after 
spending two consecutive winters in the ice, with the mean temperature 
several deerrees below zero. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

SECOND VOYAGE OF FRANKLIN STATE OF ARCTIC SCIENCE PREPA- 
RATIONS AND PLAN DEATH OF FRANKLIN'S WIFE FRANKLIN 

PLANTS HIS FLAG ON AN ARCTIC ISLAND — FORT FRANKLIN 

DESCEND THE MACKENZIE SEPARATION OF THE TWO PARTIES 

SERIOUS ADVENTURE WITH ESQUIMAUX' — -THE BOATS PLUN- 
DERED FRANKLIN'S RETURN- — SUCCESS OF RICHARDSON RE- 
TURN TO ENGLAND. 

Arrived in England, Franklin, Back, and Richardson were honored, 
congratulated, and feted, in a manner somewhat resembling the triumphs 
given to the ancient Latin heroes. Upon Franklin was also bestowed 
the rank of Captain. It would naturally be supposed that these bold 
men, after suffering' the agonies of hunger and braving the dangers of 
Boreas for three long years, would be content to rest on their laurels. 
Such, however, was not the case. The explorations of the early part of 
the nineteenth century, particularly the events just narrated, had whetted 
the appetites of scientific men for more accurate knowledge concerning 
the mysterious regions of the earth's axial termini. Investigation, too, 
was beginning to take a more definite form, and to strike at a more defi- 
nite object. The existence and possible commercial value of a North- 
west Passage was more firmly believed in, and operations in the line of 
exploration were largely conducted with reference to its discovery, or to 
its utility in that important event. It was desired to know more fully 
the character of the land bordering on the Polar Sea — of the resources 
which it possessed, of the people who inhabited it, and of the probable 
future value to civilized nations of this hitherto unexplored wild. More- 
over, Arctic explorations had been hitherto fostered almost wholly by 
Great Britain, and that, too, it may be said, in a disinterested way, and 

not wholly nor chiefly for her own political or mercantile aggrandizement. 

288 



THE WALNUT SHELL. 289 

In 1825, then, the admiralty having decided to investigate more fully 
the western portion of America's northern coast, Capt. John Franklin 
was chosen as the leader of an expedition for that purpose. Dr. Rich- 
ardson again offered his services as surgeon; which the admiralty, know- 
ing his peculiar power and value, were glad to accept. Lieut. Kendall, a 
distinguished draughtsman and surveyor, was engaged to assist in the 
technical portion of the work. The party was further to he accom- 
panied by the accomplished Lieut. Bushnan; but that young man, and 
promising officer, died just before the expedition set out. Lieut. Back 
returned just at this time from the West Indies, and being, as we have 
seen, somewhat familiar with Arctic navigation, his services were also 
sought and engaged. 

The preparations for this journey were made with particular refer- 
ence to avoiding the harrowing scenes of the previous voyage, and as we 
shall gladly record, the effort was entirely successful in this particular. 
The boats for the occasion were built at Woolwich, under Capt. Frank- 
hn's direct supervision, and were well calculated to withstand the shocks 
always foreseen in the Frigid Zone. One of them, designated the "Walnut 
Shell," deserves especial mention. It was only eighty-five pounds in 
weight, and was so constructed as to admit of being taken to pieces, and 
conveniently carried from place to place. When thus in pieces, it could 
be put together again in twenty minutes. It was fitted with a rubber 
covering, making it a comfortable rendezvous from storms and bad 
weather. A trial of these vessels was made at Woolwich, in the pres- 
ence of several officers of the navy, and they were found to endure well 
any test imposed. 

The directions given by Earl Bathurst, the Lord of the Admiralty, 
for the guidance of the party, were substantially as follows: 

The whole party were to proceed to the interior of America in the 

summer of 1S35, and were to establish winter quarters somewhere on 

MacKenzie's River. They were to spend the winter in exploring and 

surveying such of the more important lakes, rivers, and mountains in 

their vicinity, as had not previously been examined, and were to hold 

themselves in readiness to start early in the spring of 1826, upon their 
19 



290 AT FORT CHIPEWYAN. 

trip to the mouth of the MacKenzie, in order to have as much of the sum- 
mer as jDOSsible for the important work which they were about to un- 
dertake. Arrived at the mouth of the great river, Capt. Franklin, with 
Lieut. Back and a part of the men, was to explore the coast westward, 
until he should meet a party who were to arrive by way of Behring's 
Strait, and were to co-operate with him in his investigations. In the 
meantime, Dr. Richardson and Lieut. Kendall, with the residue of the 
men, were to proceed eastward from the MacKenzie to the Coppermine, 
which will be remembered as the point of departure of their previous 
coast survey. This would make an unbroken and nearly comj:>lete 
chain of surveys between east and west ; and thus the preliminary work 
of proving the existence of a Northwest Passage from Baffin's Bay to 
Behring's Strait, would be in substance accomplished. 

The death of Franklin's wife on the day after his departure has al- 
ready been referred to ; she had been very low for some time, but in 
spite of her condition, she, with remarkable ambition, urged him to leave 
her, and to sail on the day appointed by the Admiralty. Notwithstand- 
ing this calamity, Franklin, when the news was brought him, concealed 
his sorrow as far as possible, so that he might not be the means of de- 
pressing the spirits of his officers and men. 

The expedition having been duly conveyed to Hudson's Bay, the 
boats and crew all the way by water, and the officers by land through 
New York and Canada, the whole party met about 1,200 miles in the 
interior, on the 29th of June, 1S25. This junction took place in the 
Methye River (latitude 56 10' north; longitude 108° 55' west) which 
is almost the head of the waters that flow from the north into Hudson's 
Bay. After traversing this river with much difficulty, on account of its 
rapidity and shoals, the expedition pushed on to Fort Chipewyan, where 
it arrived about the middle of July. The inhabitants here Were much 
surprised to see the adventurers so early in the season; being only two 
days later than a former party, who had spent the preceding winter in 
Canada. At Fort Chipewyan, the party received material addition to 
their store, and also secured the service of several Indians, whose faithful- 
ness they had had opportunity to prove upon the previous voyage. 



PLANTING THE FLAG ON THE ARCTIC. 291 

As there was still considerable time before winter would set in, Frank- 
lin proceeded according to a plan which he had cherished ever since he 
set out from England. He first conducted the party to the MacKenzie, 
and descended to a point which he deemed suitable for winter quarters. 
He then instructed Dr. Richardson to proceed across the country and dis- 
cover some convenient point on the Coppermine to reach, when he 
should traverse that river in returning from his projected trip for the follow- 
ing summer. He, himself, thought it prudent for him to descend the 
MacKenzie to the sea, and make with a selected crew some observations 
preliminary to leading the whole party there in the following summer. 
This plan was executed, and the sea was reached after an eventful jour- 
ney. The occasion of their arrival at the seaboard is thus described by 
Franklin: 

"Immediately on reaching the sea, I caused to be hoisted the silk flag 
which my deeply-lamented wife had made, and presented to me as a 
parting gift, under the express injunction that it was not to be unfurled 
until the expedition reached the sea. I will not attempt to describe my 
emotions as it expanded to the breeze; however natural and irresistible, 
I felt that it was my duty to suppress them, and that I had no right by 
an indulgence of my own sorrows to cloud the animated countenances of 
my companions. Joining, therefore, with the best grace I could com- 
mand, in the general excitement, I endeavored to return with correspond- 
ing cheerfulness, their warm congratulations on having thus planted 
the British flag on this remote island of the Polar .Sea." 

As the autumn drew on, both parties returned to the point which had 
been jDreviously selected as quarters for the winter. Substantial huts of 
wood and stone were erected, and every precaution taken to make the 
coming winter as tolerable as could possibly be done. The place was 
named Ft. Franklin, after the gallant leader of the expedition. The 
whole establishment now numbered about fifty persons; including 
five officers, nineteen British seamen, mariners, and voyagers, nine Cana- 
dians, two Esquimaux, three women, seven children, and one Indian 
lad; besides several infirm Indians, who required temporary support. 
The winter was spent according to the instructions of the admiralty, in 



292 SEPARA TION. 

exploring and surveying the great lakes and the adjacent mountains, and 
in making topographical sketches of the countiy. Of this work, Dr. 
Richardson chiefly had charge; and his reports have become classics up- 
on the geography of the portions examined. 

The summer of 1826 found them preparing to descend the MacKenzie. 
Before starting, the boat and all the supplies were divided between the. 
two parties which were to separate at the mouth of this river. The 
men were chosen out, and complete preparations made, in order to avoid 
the delay and inconvenience of doing it in a less comfortable place. 

At the mouth of the MacKenzie, as at the mouths of most great 
rivers, there is a separation of the main stream into two principal parts, 
inclosing land to a considerable extent between them. Before this di- 
vision was arrived at the expedition encamped to spend the night, and to 
afford an opportunity for the two parties to say their adieus, as they 
would naturally descend by the two different mouths, according to their 
instructions. As the parties entertained for each other sentiments of 
true friendship, the evening before their separation was spent in the 
most cordial and cheerful manner. They felt that they were only sep- 
arating to be employed in services of equal interest; and they naturally 
looked forward with great delight to their next meeting when, after a 
successful termination, they might rehearse the incidents of their respec- 
tive voyages. 

It is impossible, for obvious reasons, to give the minute details of their 
interesting and successful enterprises. The judgment of British ship- 
wrights seems to have been well taken, for the boats used on these oc- 
casions proved exactly adapted to the service required of them, and 
carried their valiant crews through all the storms and ice-bound bays 
with no fatal and few serious disasters. Franklin explored every bay, 
cape, mountain, river and inlet, as far as he went to the westward, but 
did not succeed in finding a single good harbor. He was the first to 
discover that the Rocky Mountains are not a contiguous chain but con- 
sist of several parallel ranges of greater or less extent. 

During this season of the year Esquimaux -were very frequent and 
anxious to trade. A difficulty occurred with them on this trip which 



EN CO UNTER WITH NA TJ VES. 



293 



threatened to be disastrous. A kayak being overset by one of the boat 
oars, its owner was plunged into the water with his head in the mud, 
and was apparently in danger of being drowned. They instantly ex- 
tricated him from his unpleasant situation and took him into the boat 
until the water could be thrown out of the kayak; and Augustus (the 
Esquimaux interpreter), seeing him shiver with cold, wrapped him up 
in his own great coat. At first the fellow was exceedingly angry, but 
soon became reconciled to his situation; and looking about, discovered 
that they had many bales of goods and other articles in the boat which 
had been carefully covered and concealed from the natives. He soon 



began asking for every- 
thing he saw, and ex- 
pressed much displeas- 
ure on their refusing 
to comply with his 
demands. He went 
sulkily away, and 
doubtless his tale ex- 
cited sympathy in the 
minds of the whole 
tribe, for an attempt 
was soon after made 
to dispossess the crew, 




of their whole store. 
A favorable chance 
presenting itself, two of 
the most powerful men 
jumping on board at 
the same time, seized 
Franklin by the wrists, 
and forced him to sit 
between them ; and as 
he shook them loose 
two or three times, a 
third Esquimaux took 
his station in front of 



ESQUIMAUX CHILD'S DRESS, 

him to catch his hands whenever he attempted to lift his gun, or the broad 
dagger which hung at his side. The whole way to the shore they kept 
repeating the word " Teyma," beating gently on Franklin's left breast, 
and pressing his hawds against their own. As the beach was neared, 
two oomiaks full of women arrived, and the shouts were redoubled. The 
other boat-load followed, and both were now brought to the shore. The 
three men who had held Franklin now leaped ashore, and those who 
had remained in their canoes, taking them out of the water, carried them 
a little distance,, 

A numerous party now drew their knives, and stripping themselves 
to the waist ran to the Reliance (the largest boat), and having first 



294 MOUNTAIN WARRIORS. 

hauled her as far as they could, began a regular pillage, handing the arti- 
cles to the women, who, ranged in a row behind, quickly conveyed them 
out of sight. Lieut. Back ordered the muskets to be drawn on them, but 
riot to be fired till the word of command. This display frightened the 
natives, and they quickly dispersed. They afterward gave as a reason 
for their actions, that they had never seen white men before, and seeing 
so many things together, they could not resist the temptation to steal 
them. They strenuously promised better behavior, and wished to be 
restored to the good graces of the commander. A plot was also laid at 
one time to murder the whole party, including Augustus, the interpreter, 
but it was fortunately frustrated before any attempt was made to carry 
it out. 

Franklin had intended and hoped to reach Behring's Strait, or at least 
to proceed far enough west to meet Capt. Beechey and his party, who 
were supposed to be approaching in that direction. Having seen no 
traces of him, however, and the summer being well gone, he decided to 
return to the MacKcnzie. Two other important facts also justified his 
discontinuing the voyage. The instructions of the Admiralty had been 
to return at a certain time, which time was now nearly at hand. An- 
other reason was found in the following generally believed report : The 
mountains along the shore "were inhabited by a savage and cruel tribe of 
Indians, of whose numbers and ferocity the Esquimaux gave thrilling 
accounts. They had been accustomed to trade with the Esquimaux, and, 
on hearing of the white men's approach, and seeing the things which the 
Esquimaux had obtained in barter, they feared that their own trade with 
the natives would be ruined. Accordingly, a plan was laid to come 
down and destroy the whole party of whites, and take possession at once 
of their stores and trade. This could be easily accomplished, as they 
were determined and powerful warriors. All things considered, Frank- 
lin thought it prudent to reverse his course, and was soon on his way 
back to the mouth of the great river. In spite of storms and difficulties, 
he had traced the coast to the one hundred and fiftieth meridian, and 
seventieth parallel. Nearly 400 miles of coast were thus more accu- 
rately traced and located than it had hitherto been possible to do. 



EULOGT UPON KENDALL. 295 

In the meantime, Dr. Richardson had heen equally successful in his 
trip toward the east. He explored the coast all the way from the Mac- 
Kenzie to the Coppermine, besides examining much of the interior. 
His untiring perseverance, uniform justice, and great nautical wisdom, 
did much to make Franklin's expeditions successful. His foresight was 
seen in all he undertook, and his party always found in him an example 
of diligence and of manly courtesy. He eulogized Lieut. Kendall as a 
very accurate and companionable gentleman, and as an instance of the 
former quality, cites the following fact : 

Having been deprived of chronometers by the breaking of the two 
intended for the eastern detachment, during the intense cold of winter, 
the only resource left them for correcting the dead reckonings was lunar 
observations, whenever circumstances would permit. Yet when they 
approached the Coppermine River, Mr. Kendall's reckoning of the posi- 
tion of that place differed from the previous location by Franklin only 
by a few seconds — being a very trifling disparity when the great distance 
is taken into consideration. 

Richardson secured 1,500 specimens of floral and animal life, many 
of which had never been classified before. His report of his voyage was 
veiy full and complete, and was completely satisfactory, both to Frank- 
lin and the admiralty. Having joined Franklin's party in the interior, 
the winter of 1S26-7 was spent in Canada; and the party having suc- 
ceeded beyond the general expectation, returned to England in the sum- 
mer of 1 S3 7. . 




THE WALNUT SHELL. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

PARRY'S THIRD EXPEDITION SLOW PROGRESS NEW ICE ENCOUN- 
TERED THE FURY SWEPT AWAY WINTER AT PORT BOWEN 

OBSERVATIONS HUNTING CAPTURE OF A WHALE THE FURY 

ALEAK INSPECTING THE SHIPS THE FURY ABANDONED RE- 
PORT TO THE ADMIRALTY. 

The third expedition to the Northwest, in charge of Commander 
Parry, was soon equipped. To the usual stores were added preserved 
carrots, parsnips, and salmon, together with pickled onions, beets, cab- 
bage, and split peas; also a small quantity of beef pemmican, made after 
Capt. Franklin's recipe, by cutting the meat into thin slices, which, being 
dried in the sun and pounded, are mixed with a small quantity of melted 
fat, and compressed into bags. The ships were the same as before; but 
the Hecla was under the immediate command of Parry, and the Fury, 
under Captain Hoppner, promoted from the rank of lieutenant, which he 
held in the previous expedition; Captain Lyon being detailed, as we will 
see farther on, for a special exploration in the Griper. The William 
Harris, under Lieut. Pritchard, was joined to the Hecla and Fury as a 
transport until they should reach the ice. They left Deptford near Lon- 
don, May 8, 1824, and on the 10th took aboard their ammunition and 
powder at Northfleet, near Gravesend, at the mouth of the Thames, 
whence they proceeded on their voyage. On the 3d of July they dis- 
missed the William Harris, after having transferred her surplus stores to 
the Hecla and Fury amid the ice-floes of Davis' Strait, out of which she 
was towed by the ship's boats into clear water. With their now heavily- 
laden vessels, under light northerly winds they made but little progress 
for several days. Once or twice it became necessary to tow the ships 
with their boats from a dangerous proximity to icebergs, of which they 

counted at one time no less than one hundred and three from the 

296 



SLOW PXOGfiESS. 297 

deck. The crews were kept constantly at work, heaving, warping, saw- 
ing, and using every device known to their craft in Arctic navigation, to 
keep clear of the icebergs, and make a little headway. 

By the end of July they made but seventy miles to the west, since 
parting with the transport. Five weeks longer they kept up the daily and 
hourly struggle with the ice, some of which was over twenty feet thick, 
above the surface of the water, and reaching out of sight from the mast- 
head. Through such barriers and obstacles they could often only work 
by towing with boats and warping with hawsers, gaining here an en- 
trance by sawing the ice, and there through some natural opening be- 
tween the floes. By such toil and labor did they achieve a progress of 
about four hundred miles, arriving at length in sight of the headlands of 
Lancaster Sound, in open water, on the 10th of September. It was no- 
ticed that for some time the ice had been growing less in thickness as 
well as in the extent of the floes, so that on the whole the farther they 
got to the northwest, the easier was their progress, the obstruction being 
greatest about the middle of the ice-pack, where also were seen the 
largest number of icebergs. 

They had now accomplished only the preliminary stage of the voy- 
age, Lancaster Sound being again the preconcerted starting point of the 
exploration. It was hoped that the ice-barrier encountered five }'ears 
before, after penetrating Prince Regent Inlet, would prove to have been 
peculiar to the season; and that a passage would now be found practica- 
ble by that route. It was determined that the trial should be made, and 
this was the direct object of the present expedition. Unfortunately it 
had set out too late, or had been too long detained in the ice-pack of 
Baffin's Bay, to have much chance of success the first season. On the 
13th, in sight of Cape York, the eastern headland of Prince Regent In- 
let, they encountered new ice, which formed very rapidly, and grew in 
thickness from day to day. Towing with the boats, backing and veer- 
ing, and hauling the ships, they kept moving, but often as much back- 
ward as forward, until the night of the 17th, when they were completely 
hemmed in. The ice extended in one mass to the shore, thickened by 
the natural process of continual freezing, and still more by the action of 



298 THE FURT S WEP T A WA Y. 

the wind and swell, which rolled it upon itself, layer upon layer, some- 
times to a hundred feet in thickness, forming impenetrable hummocks. 
They now began to saw a canal so as to get the ships nearer the shore, 
in the event of being unable to get out of the ice. On the 21st, through 
the opening thus partially effected, the ships were slowly squeezed 
toward the land by the pressure of the ice from without, but on the 
next day were threatened with being driven with the surrounding ice out 
to sea by a change of wind. Hawsers were now run out to the land-ice, 
and the Hecla was thus secured ; but the Fury, which lay farther out, 
was swept off with the ice. The hawsers of the Hecla were soon cut 
one after another by the drifting ice, but not before they had succeeded 
in casting anchor. In an hour the moving floe was parted in two by its 
own action against the chain cable, and the sawing operations of the 
crew, leaving the Hecla afloat in clear water, about half a mile from the 
shore. Meanwhile the Fury had been carried by the wind beyond an 
iceberg grounded off a small headland, and was cleared from the floe by 
great exertion on the part of her'commander and crew, some live or six 
miles away, where she was joined by the Hecla before night. On the 
morning of the 27th they found themselves at length free of ice, and 
within a few miles of the western shore of Prince Regent Inlet. At 
noon they were abreast of Jackson Inlet, and before night had made 
Port Bovven, which Parry had now determined to make their winter 
quarters for the season. 

Here the usual arrangements were made, with some improvements 
for heating and ventilating the ships, and with masquerades, instead of 
theatrical representations, as amusement for the men. The schools 
were resumed with very satisfactory results, and less distraction, as there 
were no Esquimaux in the vicinity. Taught by experience, they had 
learned to place the stoves in the very bottom of the hold, which, with 
their other appliances, enabled them to keep the temperature of the ships 
at an average of 56 ; so that with improved heating apparatus and the 
preserved and pickled vegetables already referred to, the general health 
of the men suffered less derangement than on any of the preceding 
expeditions. 




299 



300 OBSER VA TIONS. 

An incident related by Parry is worth reproducing in illustration 
of the distance which the voice can reach in favorable circumstances. 
Lieut. Foster having occasion to send»a man from the observatory to the 
opposite shore of the harbor — a measured distance of 6,696 feet, or 
about one statute mile and two-tenths — in order to fix a meridian mark, 
had placed a second person half-way between, to repeat his directions; 
but he found on trial that this precaution was unnecessary, as he could 
without difficulty keep up conversation with the man at the distant sta- 
tion. "The thermometer was at this time 1S below zero, the barometer 
30.14 inches, and the weather nearly calm, and quite clear and serene." 
It was noticed that the meteors or falling stars were much more frequent 
especially in December, than in any previous winter of their residence in 
the Arctics. They also observed a particularly brilliant displav of 
Aurora Borealis on the 23d of Feburary, the next day after the sun had 
become visible at the- ships. Owing to the height of the hills surround- 
ing Fort Bowen, the sun had been hidden from the harbor for 13 1 days, 
though to those who took the trouble to ascend the hills his reappearance 
was made manifest twenty days earlier. " It is very long after the sun's 
reappearance in these regions, however, before the effect of his rays, as 
to warmth, became perceptible," says Parry; " week after week with 
scarcely any rise in the thermometer except for an hour or two during 
the day; and it is at this period, more than any other, perhaps, that the 
lengthened duration of a Polar winter's cold is most wearisome, and 
creates the most impatience." It was not till the middle of June that 
there was any considerable amount of water from the melting snow on 
shore. 

There were more bears killed by the crews this winter than in all the 
previous seasons put together. From October to June, twelve were se- 
cured, and raanv more seen that they were unable to kill. On two oc- 
casions they witnessed the strength of parental affection in these animals, 
the mothers staying to protect their young when they might easily have 
escaped. One or two foxes were killed, and four were caught in traps. 
" The color of one of these animals, which lived for some time aboard 
the Fury, and became tolerably tame, was nearly pure white, till the 



A WHALE CAPTURED. 301 

month of May, when he shed his winter coat, and became of a dirty choco- 
late color, with two or three light brown spots." Only three hares were 
killed, whose fur was " thick, soft, and of the most beautiful whiteness 
imaginable." One ermine and a few moose, complete the scanty list of 
quadrupeds at Port Bowen. No deer or wolves were seen, but toward 
the end of June they were able to kill several hundreds of dovekies, 
which made an acceptable change in their diet. On one of the nume- 
rous excursions for shooting these, John Cotterell, a seaman of the Furv, 
was drowned in a crack of the ice, on the 6th of July. 

Six days later the ice began to detach itself, and they succeeded in 
killing a small whale, the oil of which they needed for another winter's 
consumption, in the event of their being detained so long in the Arctic 
regions. Thev began the usual operations of sawing a canal for the 
ships, the work proving an unusually heavy task, as the ice was in 
some places over ten, and generally from five to eight feet thick. On the 
19th a welcome stop was put to this arduous labor, by the separation of 
the ice across the harbor, not, however, without a final tug at the saws 
all night to cut away the intervening ice. In two hours of the ensuing 
day they succeeded in towing the vessels into the open sea of Prince Re- 
gent Inlet, after twenty-six hours of continuous work. Parry now made 
for the western shore, intending to coast North Somerset to the south, 
judging from his former inspection of that region that it would be found 
to trend to the west. 'Trying in vain to penetrate the ice-barrier, they 
moved northward until the 24th, when a channel was found along the 
western shore about two miles wide, the ice having been driven to the 
east by a gale. They were then at Leopold Island, in Barrow's Strait, 
whence they proceeded again to the south along the channel thus opened 
along the coast of North Somerset. On the 3Sth their further progress 
was blocked by the ice in latitude 73° 51' 51", within about twelve miles 
of the most southern point sighted on the same coast in 1S19. On the 
30th, the Hecla was worked a mile and a half further to the south, 
a narrow channel having been opened in the ice by the action 
of the wind. The next day the Fury was driven aground by the 
pressure of the ice under the influence of a northern gale, but was got 



302 TIfE FURT ALEAK. 

off at high water by the exertions of both crews, without serious injury. 
On the ist of August both ships were hemmed in by the ice 
and driven with it to the shore, on which they grounded, the Fury 
being severely injured by an extra pressure from the coming floe 
after she had already struck, which forced her heavily against the 
land-ice of the beach. The Hecla was gotten off at high water, 
the ice fortunately ■ receding, and anchored to a floe at midnight. 
The Fury also succeeded in getting afloat, but was found to be 
leaking badly. They now made a strenuous effort to 'enter a 
small harbor, which they opportunely discovered at a short distance. 
The way being fortunately clear of ice at the time, they succeeded in 
guiding both vessels into the only two coves out of twenty, examined by 
Parry in a small boat, of sufficient depth to float them at low water. 
These coves were formed by grounded masses of ice, and afforded but a 
precarious refuge, especially as it was now evident that the Fury would 
require to be thoroughly repaired before she could be considered sea- 
worthy. Four pumps were at this time constantly engaged in the effort 
to keep her from sinking. In these coves, the slightest pressure from 
the outside ice would be sufficient to drive the ships ashore, as they had 
only about two feet of water under their keels. Parry and Hoppner 
bestirred themselves to seek a more secure anchorage, and had the good 
fortune to find, within a mile, another, but deeper cove, where three 
masses of grounded ice were so situated as to afford an ice-locked harbor. 
But notwithstanding their activity, heightened if possible, by the 
supreme urgency of the situation, before the ships could be moved, the 
ice, like a watchful enemy, closed in and again held them fast in his 
tightening grasp. A narrow lane of water affording a passage for boats 
between ships, some of the Fury's dry provisions were taken aboard the 
Hecla, and a quantity of heavy ironwork and other not easily injured 
stores were conveyed ashore. On the 5th of August they succeeded, dur- 
ing a temporary opening of the ice, in running the ships into the harbor 
already chosen, but were prevented from reaching the most desirable 
anchorage, and in twenty minutes after their arrival the ice again closed 
around them. 



UNLOADING THE FURY. 303 

They now proceeded with the lightening of the Fury, and in three 
days had unloaded her so much that two pumps were sufficient to keep 
her free; spars, boats and everything from off her upper deck, as well as 
the provisions and stores, having been removed. These were tempora- 
rily housed under the ship's tents on shore; and at the same time prepa- 
rations were diligently made to heave the Fury over on the ice for re- 
pairs. Meanwhile, on the 8th, a southward movement of the ice in 
Prince Regent Inlet, drove the outer ice of the harbor against and under 
the ships, threatening to keel over the Fury before they were ready, and 
driving the Hecla on a projecting tongue of ice attached to one of the icy 
piers of this rather dangerous harbor. On the ioth, by cutting four or 
five feet of ice at the stern of the Hecla, she slid off the tongue, and was 
once more entirely afloat. A little more room being soon obtained by 
one of the ever-recurring movements of the ice, they cleared the basin of 
the scattered masses of broken ice, piece by piece, leaving the ships a few 
feet to spare in length, but none in width. The Fury, on the inside of 
this harbor, had eighteen feet of water, and the Hecla, on the outside, 
twenty-four. The clearness of the water now enabled them to form an 
opinion of the injuries received by both vessels in their long-continued 
battle with the ice. They discovered that in the Fury " both the stern- 
post and forefoot were broken and turned up on one side with the pres- 
sure. We also could perceive, as far as we were able to see along the 
main keel, that it was much torn, and we had therefore much reason to 
conclude that the danger would altogether prove serious. We also dis- 
covered that several feet of the Hecla's false keel were torn away 
abreast of the forechains, in consequence of her grounding forward so 
frequently." 

The Fury was completely cleared of everything on the 16th, 
and two unsuccessful attempts had been made to lay her down, when 
on the 19th the ice once more peremptorily decided against further 
action in that direction. A huge outside floe, driven southward by a 
gale, so pressed upon the harbor ice as to dislodge the ice piers and de- 
stroy the basin prepared with so much labor. Both ships were now in 
danger of being again forced aground by the next pressure from the un- 



304 THE FURT ABANDONED. 

certain ice, and it was determined to save the Hecla from that disaster, 
by preparing her for sea. And, if time would permit, the Fury, too, 
should be towed out and staunched with sails until a more secure harbor 
could be reached. By the 21st they had placed aboard the Fury about 
fifty tons' weight of coal and provisions, and her anchors, cables, rudders 
and spars — all that was deemed absolutely necessary for her equipment, 
should they succeed in getting her out to sea. But the ice again came on 
and drove her ashore, the Hecla having barely escaped the same disaster 
by having gone out to sea one hour and live minutes before. At eight 
o'clock the last man had left the Fury, and at eleven half a mile of packed 
ice lay between her and her consort. In the morning the distance had 
increased to four or five miles, the Hecla having been borne south by 
the current, and during the ensuing night four or five leagues farther. 
The wind now changing, they were enabled to retrace their course, but 
could get no nearer to the Fury than twelve miles. This was at noon of 
the 24th, in latitude 72 ° 34' 57", and on the morning of the 25th they 
were at least fifteen miles away, the ice having pressed between them 
and the shore where she lay. 

Still hovering in her vicinity and watching every opportunity to 
reach her, Parry and Hoppner were finally enabled to make an ex- 
amination into her condition. Getting within seven or eight miles of her, 
and a narrow channel opening the way for the boats, Parry and Hopp- 
ner got aboard the Fury for the last time, at half-past nine. It was 
reluctantly decided that her condition was hopeless in view of all the cir- 
cumstances, and that it would only endanger the Hecla and the lives of 
both crews to waste any more time in attempting to rescue and repair her, 
with no secure harbor in view, even should they succeed in floating her 
off. She was therefore abandoned where she lay, in latitude 72 ° 42' 30", 
and longitude 91 ° 50' 5", about half a degree south of their late winter 
quarters, but on the opposite side of Prince Regent Inlet, and just above 
where the coast of North Somerset wears rapidly to the west. 

They now proceeded to make both crews as comfortable as possible 
on the Hecla, and sailed across the inlet to Neill's Harbor, a little south 
of Port Bowen, to refit and get ready for the return voyage to England, 



PARRT ARRIVES AT THE ADMIRALTY. 305 

all further attempts to continue their explorations being necessarily 
abandoned. John Page, a seaman of the Fury, who had suffered for 
several months from a scrofulous disorder, now died, and was buried with 
the usual marks of respect. By the 31st all necessary arrangements, 
including a fresh supply of water, having been perfected, they sailed to 
the northward, gaining the open sea of Barrow's Strait on Sept. 1st. 
They found Baffin's Bay very different from what it was the preceding 
year, within four days of the same date. Where on the 9th of Septem- 
ber, 1S24, they experienced the utmost difficulty in escaping from the 
ice, on the 5th of September, 1825, and within thirty miles of the same 
spot, there was no floe whatever, and only one or two solitary icebergs. 
On the 7th, in latitude 72 ° 30', and longitude 60 ° 5', they first encoun- 
tered ice, with thirty-nine icebergs in sight, but also with plenty of sea 
room to the east. Next day, in latitude 71 ° 55', they fell in with three 
whalers going north, to whom they were able to give no encouragement, 
as they had not seen a single whale since they left Neill's Harbor. Their 
advance to the east was now much more retarded by contrary -winds, 
and they did not pass the Arctic Circle until noon of the 17th, but for the 
ensuing week the winds were favorable. On the 25th and 26th they 
encountered a very severe gale, after leaving Davis' Strait, and while 
southeast of Cape Farewell. After the gale they had a week of remark- 
ably fine weather, and though somewhat hindered afterward by strong 
southerly winds, they reached Mull Head, the northwestern point of the 
Orkney Islands, on the 10th of October. Two days later, encountering 
a southerly wind off Peterhead, Commander Par*y went ashore at that 
point and setoff for London, arriving at the admiralty on the 16th. The 
Hecla arrived at Sheerness on the Thames on the 20th, where Capt. 
Hoppner, his officers and men, being put on trial for the loss of the Fury, 
were honorably acquitted, the abandonment of the ship being amply 
justified. 



20 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

ARCTIC VOYAGE OF SABINE AND CLAVERING IIAMMERFEST COD- 

FISIIING DISCOVERY, OF PENDULUM ISLANDS PROCEED TO CAPE 

PARRY LIFE OF SABINE. 

The main purpose of this voyage was to further the " pendulum ex- 
periments " of Captain, afterward Major General, Sir Edward Sabine, 
for the completion of which he obtained the use of the ship Griper of 
the royal navy, which had been one of Parry's vessels in his first voy- 
age in search of the Northwest Passage. She was now placed in com- 
mand of Capt. Clavering, who in the intervals occupied by Sabine on 
land, made some few discoveries in Arctic seas. They sailed from the 
Nore on the nth of May, 1823, and arrived at Hammerfest in ^ual 
Oe, or Whale Island, on the northwest coast of Norway, 70 40' 7" by 
2 3° 35' 43"' on tne 4 tn °f J une - Here Sabine prosecuted his scien- 
tific experiments until the 23d, and leaving him thus engaged, the 
reader is invited to take a survey of Hammerfest, which is a town of 
much interest in connection with Arctic explorations. 

Hammerfest is situated on the west coast of the island, and is the most 
northern town of its size in the world. Sixty years ago it had only forty- 
four inhabitants, but has now a settled population of about 1600. It is 
the capital of the province of Finmark, which has an area of over 18,000 
square miles, and a population of only 24,000. The town comprises one 
long, winding street along the shore, the houses of which, made of 
wood and painted, present the striking peculiarity of having grass plots 
on the roofs. The warehouses are built on piles driven into the water, 
giving ready access to ships and boats, and, with the adjoining sheds, are 
usually well filled with skins of the reindeer, bear and wolf, reindeer 
horns, walrus tusks, dried fish and train oil. These the merchants obtain 

from the Finns — more properly Lapps — from whom the province de- 

306 



HAMMERFEST— NORTH CAPE. 307 

rives its name, in exchange for brandy, tobacco — of both of which the 
poor natives are very fond — hardware, and cloth. Some of the resident 
merchants fit out annual expeditions for walrus and seal-hunting at Cherry 
Island and the Spitzbergen group. The seal and walrus hunters of other 
nations also make it a place of outfit and point of departure for the north- 
ern seas. A large trade with Archangel, on the White Sea, in Russia, 
is also carried on. The vessels used in this traffic are peculiar, being 
supplied with three almost perpendicular masts, each furnished with a 
large three-cornered sail. By these are exchanged the train oil and fish 
of the Northern Norwegians for the rye, meal and candles of the Rus- 
sians. A British ship occasionally puts into Hammerfest with a cargo 
of coal, and takes back one of codfish, which constitutes the most im- 
portant single article in the commerce of the town. 

Though so far north, the temperature is generally mild enough to 
permit the hardy fishermen to prosecute their labors through the fishing 
season. The number of cod annually taken is between twenty and fifty 
millions, a large part of which are taken by the Russians as caught. The 
remainder is prepared for the markets of the world and sold as dried 
codfish, Spain being the largest buyer, her annual purchases amounting 
to over forty million pounds. The winter is given to merry-making, and 
scarcely a night passes without a frolic of some sort. The day when 
the sun reappears, is one of general rejoicing, and everybody rushes into 
the street to congratulate his neighbor. The summer is short, and 
sometimes quite oppressive for a little while ; but the cool air from the 
snow-covered hillsides and ravines, in some of which it always lies, and 
from the sea, soon reduces the temperature. The chief subject of regret 
is not that it is sometimes hot, but that it is cold so long. North Cape, 
the extreme northern point of Europe, is only sixty miles from Ham- 
merfest, and is generally an object of great interest to sojourners or trav- 
elers -in those regions. This rocky promontory, a thousand feet in height, 
abuts upon the sea, and is difficult of ascent even at its most accessible 
points in the rear. It is, however, frequently visited, and no doubt am- 
ply repays the labor to persons who like to dream of the sublime, away 
from the busy haunts of men. 



308 DISCOVERIES OF CLAVERING. 

But leaving Hammerfest and North Cape, it is our duty to return to 
Captains Sabine and Clavering, and their "good ship," the Griper, which 
set sail for Spitzbergen seas on the 23d of June. They encountered ice 
in latitude 75 ° 5', off Cherry Island, on the 27th, and three days later 
reached the vicinity of Hakluyt Headland, the northwestern point of the 
Spitzbergen Archipelago. On one of the smaller group of islands, known 
as the Seven Sisters, they landed Capt. Sabine with his necessary equip- 
ments, and immediate attendants, while Capt. Clavering continued his 
course to the north. But having made about thirty miles in that direc- 
tion, .he was driven back by the impassable ice-pack. Sabine was again 
ready on the 24th of July, when they set sail for the east coast of Green- 
land, which they struck at a headland named by them Cape Borlase 
Warren. Here they discovered two islands which received the name of 
Pendulum Islands, because Sabine chose them as the field of his experi- 
ments. Clavering proceeding northward, discovered and named Shan- 
non Island in latitude 75° 12'; and descried land as high as latitude 
76 . They discovered Ardencaple Inlet, the coast-line of which they es- 
timated at about fifty miles. The latter half of August was spent ashore 
by Clavering and nineteen others of his ship's company. 

The temperature was much milder than anticipated, falling at no time 
lower than 23 above zero. At a short distance inland, a circle of moun- 
tains almost surrounds this bay, rising at some points to a height of four 
to five thousand feet. They met a small tribe of twelve Esquimaux, 
with whom, however, they "had but little intercourse. On the 29th of 
August they returned to the ship, and on the last day of the month, hav- 
ing taken aboard Capt. Sabine and his party, they proceeded southward 
along the coast to Cape Parry, in latitude 72 ° 22', longitude 22 ° 2'. 
The cliffs were here observed to be also several thousand feet high. 
Finding the coast-ice likely to prove troublesome, if not dangerous, they 
determined to return homeward. Leaving the coast on the 13th of Sep- 
tember they were driven southward in a gale, but succeeded in crossing 
the Atlantic in safety, reaching Christiansend on the first of October. 
Here the ship struck a rock, but was got off at high water without seri- 
ous injury. Coasting to the northeast they arrived at Drontheim or 



DRONTHEIM 309 

Trondhjem, on the 6th, when Sabine resumed his pendulum ex- 
periments. 

Drontheim or Trondhjem (Tronyem), the capital of the old monarchy 
and center of Norwegian literature, is situated in 63 25' by io° 23' east. 
The city looks as if it were only of yesterday, as its wooden houses have 
been frequently destroyed by fire and as often rebuilt of the same 
material. It presents a pleasing appearance, the houses being painted in 
a variety of colors ; and is a thriving place, with about 23,000 inhabi- 
tants. Its prosperity is mainly due to. the fisheries and the iron and 
copper mines in its vicinity. The lofty chimneys of its furnaces and 
foundries afford a cheering evidence that modern industry with its inces- 
sant activities, has found its way to the ancient seat of the skalds. The 
bay, on the peninsula of which it stands, is remarkable for its beauty, 
and is dotted with numerous shipping. On its banks are the villas of its 
wealthy merchants, and on a small island is the fortress or stronghold of 
Munkholm, facing the city, which is further graced by a magnificent 
cathedral of the eleventh century, the most venerable ecclesiastical struc- 
ture in the kingdom. Ship-building is carried on to a considerable extent, 
and the vessels there constructed rank high for sailing qualities. The 
inner harbor is rather shallow, not admitting vessels which draw more 
than ten or twelve feet of water. 

Edward Sabine, the naturalist of several Arctic expeditions, is worthy 
of more than passing mention. He was born in 1788, and entered the 
military service at an early age. Having attained the rank of lieutenant 
he was commissioned to accompany Sir John Ross and Sir Edward Parry 
on their first voyages in search of the Northwest Passage, in 1819—20, 
respectively. On his return from the latter he communicated the 
results of his magnetic observations to the Royal Society, and became so 
much interested in that and kindred topics of scientific investigation that 
he devoted his whole time to the prosecution of researches and experi- 
ments. In 1821 he began a series of voyages to several points between 
the Equator and the Pole, of which the one now under consideration 
formed the last, making at each place visited a careful set of observations 
on the length of the seconds' pendulum — hence called pendulum experi- 



310 SABINE'S EXPERIMENTS. 

merits — on the intensity of terrestrial magnetism, the dip of the mag- 
netic needle, and related subjects. The results were published by him in 
1825, in a work entitled " The Pendulum and Other Experiments," and 
were regarded as highly valuable. With one brief episode belonging to 
his military profession, during which he served in Ireland, his history is 
that of a student and observer of the laws and phenomena of nature, 
especially in the department of terrestrial magnetism. His labors have 
led to the discovery of the laws of magnetic storms, the connection be- 
tween sun-spots and certain magnetic phenomena, and the magnetic 
influence of the sun and moon on the earth. To his efforts have been 
largely due the establishment of magnetic observatories all over the 
world, and the collation of the most important facts thus obtained. He 
filled the several offices of secretary, vice-president and president of the 
Royal Society, and was successively promoted in his profession to captain, 
major, and finally, in 1S56, to major-general. In 1869 he was created 
Knight Commander of the Bath, whence his title, Sir Edward Sabine. 

Sabine having yprosecuted his scientific observations for several weeks 
at Drontheim, the Griper set sail for England and arrived safely at 
Deptford, near London, on the 19th of December, 1S23. 




CHAPTER XXXV. 

lyon's arctic voyage — rowe's welcome — lyon's prayer for 
help safety return to england. 

Notwithstanding the poor sailing qualities of the Griper, she was 
soon again put to use for purposes of exploration in the Northwest, be- 
ing placed in charge of Capt. George Francis Lyon, who had accom- 
panied Parry in one of his Northwest voyages. With forty-one officers 
and men, Lyon set sail June 20, 1S24, with instructions to complete the 
survey or exploration of Melville Peninsula. He was to make for 
Wager River off Rowe's Welcome, whence he was to cross the peninsula 
and attempt to reach Franklin's Point Turnagain. He was accom- 
panied by a small vessel named the Snap, with extra stores, which 
were transferred to the Griper as soon as they met the ice in Hudson's 
Strait, and the tender sent back. This was. successfully done, but the 
Griper having taken aboard the extra load, made slow progress, which, 
added to the lateness of their departure from England, rendered failure 
almost inevitable from the outset. It was the end of August before they 
were able to reach Rowe's Welcome, which they entered from Hudson's 
Bay. Here they encountered storms and fogs, while no trust could be 
placed in the compass, and the destruction of the ship became imminent. 
They were obliged to bring her to "with three bowers and a stream 
anchor in succession," while she was all the time pitching her bows un- 
der. The danger grew so menacing, that they loaded the boats with 
provisions and supplies, fearing they would have to take to them any 
moment. Two of them were almost sure to be destroyed as soon as low- 
ered, and lots were cast, mainly to insure the safety of such as should 
have the good fortune to draw the most reliable of the boats, the unsuc- 
cessful ones accepting their fate 'with the magnanimity of true heroes. 

Heavy seas swept the decks, and they were approaching a low beach, 

311 



312 L TON'S PRATER. 

"where no human power," says Lyon, "could save us if driven upon it," 
when the fog opportunely lifting, showed them the danger. But they 
were soon face to face with another. A great wave lifted the vessel 
bodily, taking her apparently along the whole length of her keel, and 
her breaking-up was momentarily looked for, but their alarm fortunately 
proved groundless. 

"And now that everything in our power had been done," says 
Lyon, "I called all hands aft, and to a merciful God offered prayers for 
our preservation. I thanked every one for their excellent conduct, and 
cautioned them, as we should in all probability soon appear before our 
Maker, to enter His presence as men, resigned to their fate. We then 
all sat down in groups, and sheltered from the wash of the sea by what- 
ever we could find, many of us endeavored to obtain a little sleep." 
They had been three nights without any, and exhausted nature will 
snatch repose, even when in the very jaws of death. "Never perhaps," 
continues Lyon, "was witnessed a finer scene than on the deck of my lit- 
tle ship, when all hope of life had left us. Noble as the character of the 
British sailor is always allowed to be in cases of danger, yet I did not be- 
lieve it to be possible, that among forty-one persons not one repining 
word should have been uttered. The officers sat about wherever they 
could find shelter from the sea, and the men lay down conversing with 
each other with the most perfect calmness. Each was at peace with his 
neighbor and all the world; and I am firmly persuaded that the resigna- 
tion which was then shown to the will of the Almighty, was the means 
of obtaining His mercy. God was merciful to us ; and the tide almost 
miraculously fell no lower." The "three bowers and stream anchor," or 
some of them, had held the ship, and when the weather cleared they 
found themselves in a bight of Rowe's Welcome, which they gratefully 
named the Bay of God's Mercy. 

On the 1 2th of September they reached the mouth of Wager 
River, where they encountered a second terrific gale, in which the 
Griper could make no headway, but " remained actually pitching fore- 
castle under, with scarcely steerage way." She was brought to by cast- 
ing her anchors, which fortunately held, while thick falling sleet cov- 



THE GRIPER UNFIT FOR DUTY. 313 

ered the deck to a depth of several inches. The spray froze as it fell on 
the deck; the night was one of pitchy darkness; and to add to the 
danger, several ice streams drove down upon the ship. Great seas 
washed over them at short intervals, and their wet clothes were frozen 
stiff, while they held to the ropes which were stretched across the 
deck to keep them from being washed overboard. As the morning 
dawned the danger became appalling, for all the cables gave way, and 
the ship was lying on her broadside. But each man did his duty, and 
the captain's experience in northern latitudes, combined with the fertility 
of resource learned in the school of Parry, thus reinforced, triumphed 
over the dangers of the deep, and they were saved. 

When the storm had abated, after its two days' fury, Lyon held a 
consultation with his officers, and it was wisely determined to return to 
England. The season was almost spent; the Griper was without an- 
chors, and at the best was not adapted for battling with the ice, as 
Parry had ascertained five years before. Nothing had been achieved, 
but the heroism and courage of officers and men received, as they richly 
deserved, the highest praise. They did not winter in Repulse Bay, as 
predetermined, Rowe's Welcome having proved sufficiently repulsive 
in the early autumn. 

Lyon survived his return only eight 3 ? ears, dying at the early age of 
thirty-seven. His contribution to Arctic exploration was not notewor- 
thy, but the saving of his men and ship under such difficulties, leaves no 
room to doubt that under more favorable circumstances he would have 
achieved success, and is a notable illustration of the great value of per- 
fect discipline in all such expeditions. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

EEECIIEy's ARCTIC VOYAGE SAIL FROM SPITHEAD KOTZEBUE SOUND 

REMARKABLE PHENOMENA RETURN REEF JOURNEY HOME- 
WARD. 

William Frederick Beechey (1796-1S56) had accompanied Franklin 
in 1S1S, and Parry in 1S19, and was now, in 1S25, deemed a suitable 
commander for an expedition to the Arctic Ocean, the main purpose of 
which was to carry succor to both those celebrated explorers, then en- 
gaged, as previously related, in pushing their discoveries in North Amer- 
ica, by sea and land. It had occurred to the home authorities that if 
the expeditions of Parry and Franklin had proved successful in reaching 
their respective destinations, and prosecuting their intended researches, 
their stores would be exhausted, or at least need replenishing, by the 
time they readied the prearranged rendezvous at Chamisso Island, 
in Kotzebue Sound. Franklin, in any event, would need transportation 
home, in a way that would obviate the exposure and hardship of simply 
retracing his overland journey. Beechey, therefore, was intrusted with 
the command of the ship-of-war Blossom, of twenty-six guns, but carry- 
ing for this voyage only sixteen. A large boat or barge, decked and 
rigged as a schooner, was added, to be used as a tender, and in narrow 
or shallow water where the large vessel could not venture. His instruc- 
tions were to survey the islands or coast of the North Pacific, if time 
would permit, but to use every effort to reach Chamisso Island before 
July 10, 1S26. Should he find on his arrival there that Franklin had 
not reached it before him, he was to proceed north and east to and be- 
yond Icy Cape, in the hope of falling in with him somewhere along the 
coast of North America, west of the MacKenzie River. He was not to 
return through Behring's Strait until the end of October, in the event of 
not meeting Franklin; and was to renew the effort in the summer of 

1827, after spending the winter in some more southern latitude. 

314 




315 



316 SAIL FROM SPITHEAD. 

The Blossom sailed from Spithead on tbe 19th of May, 1S25; 
but the earlier incidents of the voyage do not come within the scope of 
this work. On the 2d of June, 1826, she left the Sandwich Islands, and 
on the 27th was becalmed within six miles of Petropaulovsky, in Kam- 
chatka, which, however, was reached on the next day. Here they fell 
in with the Russian ship-of-war Modeste, commanded by Capt. 
Wrangell of Arctic sledge-journey fame. Here Beechey learned of Par- 
ry's return to England, which reduced his mission to the single object of 
meeting Franklin, it being already too late to spend any time in explor- 
ing the islands of the North Pacific. Here they had the opportunity of 
seeing the active volcano of Avatcha emitting huge, dark volumes of 
smoke, and from the black spots seen on the snow, they judged that there 
had been a quite recent eruption. This peak is about 1 1,000 feet high, 
but farther inland, towers above it the Streloshnaia Sopka, 3,000 feet 
higher still; and the peninsula of Kamchatka has no less than twenty- 
eight active volcanoes, besides many that are extinct. Many of tbe peaks 
of this Alpine chain which traverses the whole length of the peninsula 
are of the height indicated, and some as high as 16,500 feet, presenting 
a beautiful panorama of lofty, fantastic, snow-covered peaks of various 
outlines, interspersed with volcanic cones emitting their dark columns of 
smoke, like huge banners floating their waving folds high in air. 

Beechey left Petropaulovsky July 1st, but did not get clear of the 
Bay of Avatcha until tbe 5th, when he proceeded north for Behring's 
Strait. " We approached," says Beechey, " the strait which separates 
the two great continents of Asia and America, on one of those beautiful 
still nights well known to all who have visited the Ai-ctic regions, when 
the sky is without a cloud, and when the midnight sun, scarcely his own 
diameter below the horizon, tinges with a bright hue all the northern 
circle. Our ship, propelled by an increasing breeze, glided rapidly along 
a smooth sea, startling from her path flocks of aquatic birds, whose flight 
in the deep silence of the scene, could be traced by the ear a great dis- 
tance." Approaching the American shore just beyond Cape Prince of 
Wales, they were visited by some Esquimaux from a small neighboring 
island, who were as usual quite noisy and energetic as well as good- 



REMARKABLE PHENOMENON. 317 

humored and cheerful in their eagerness to exchange their various little 
commodities for the trinkets, beads and knives with which their visitors 
had supplied themselves before leaving England. On the' 22d of July 
they anchored in Kotzebue Sound, and explored a deep bay on its north- 
ern shore, which they named Hotham Inlet. Three days later they 
arrived at Chamisso Island, and not finding Franklin, they set sail for 
the Icy Cape on the 30th, dispatching the barge with instructions to keep 
close to the shore to watch for Franklin's overland party. The Blossom 
doubled Cape Krusenstern and surveyed the coast to the north and east, 
successively passing Cape Thomson, Hope Point, Cape Lisburne, Cape 
Beaufort and the Icy Cape — Captain Cook's " limit." Dreading the 
closing in of the ice ahead, they now sent forward the barge under Messrs. 
Elson and Smyth, and returned with the Blossom to Chamisso Island- 
While on this return voyage on the night of the 25th of August, they 
saw an aurora borealis, which Beechey thus describes : "It first appeared 
in an arch extending from west-by-north to northeast; but the arch 
shortly after its first appearance broke up and entirely disappeared. Soon 
after this, however, a new display began in the direction of the western 
foot of the first arch, preceded by a bright flame, from which emanated 
coruscations of a pale straw-color. Another simultaneous movement oc- 
curred at both extremities of the arch, until a complete segment was 
formed of wavering perpendicular radii. As soon as the arch was com- 
plete, the light became greatly increased, and the prismatic colors, which 
had before been faint, now shone forth in a brilliant manner. The 
strongest colors, which were also the outside ones, "were pink and green, 
on the green side purple and pink, all of which were as imperceptibly 
blended as in the rainbow. The green was the color nearest the zenith. 
This magnificent display lasted a few minutes; and the light had nearly 
vanished, when the northeast quarter sent forth a vigorous display, and 
nearly at the same time a corresponding coruscation emanated from the 
opposite extremity. The western foot of the arch then disengaged itself 
from the horizon, crooked to the northward, and the whole retired to 
the northeast quarter, where a bright spot blazed for a moment, and all 
was darkness. There was no noise audible during any part of our ob- 



318 AN ESQUIMAUX MAP. 

servations, nor were the compasses perceptibly affected." They arrived 
at their immediate destination two days later. 

Meanwhile the barge, which had set forward on the 17th, made its 
way slowly along the shore, Elson landing at intervals to erect posts and 
deposit instructions for Franklin. On the 32d an effective bar to their 
further progress was presented by tbe long spit of land, the head of 
which Beechey afterward named Point Barrow. The ice here closed 
in to the shore, and was seen extending to the north, as far as the eye 
could reach, without an opening. Back of this point they now proposed 
to erect the last guide-post for Franklin, but were prevented by the hos- 
tile demonstrations of some Esquimaux. It was afterward ascertained 
that they had reached within one hundred and forty-six miles of Return 
Reef, whence Franklin had set out on the iSth, to return to MacKen- 
zie River, abandoning the hope of meeting Beechey. Considering the 
immense distance traversed by both — constituting in fact a circuit of the 
globe — the wonder is that they should come so near meeting, not that 
they should fail to make an actual connection. The barge having been 
driven ashore by the ice, and the natives showing an unfriendly spirit, 
Elson and his seven companions determined to set out on their return. 
Their alarm at the threatening attitude of the Esquimaux and the 
urgency of their need, stimulated their exertions, and they succeeded in 
floating the barge. They now hastened to return, but after proceeding 
some distance, they found their way blocked by the ice. Around a jut- 
ting point which they named Cape Smith, they were obliged to haul the 
barge through a narrow lane, with the ice-floe momentarily threatening 
to close in, and cut off their retreat. They, however, succeeded in reach- 
ing Chamisso Island in safety on the 9th of September, after an absence 
in all of forty-one days, and twenty-three from the Blossom. 

The Esquimaux who visited Beechey on the island, exhibited their 
ingenuity by drawing a chart of the coast on the sand. The coast-line 
was first marked out with a stick, and the distances regulated by days' 
journeys. The hills and mountains were shown by little mounds of sand of 
varying heights, and the islands by collections of pebbles of proportion- 
ate dimensions. They were much surprised when Capt. Beechey 



THE BLOSSOM AGROUND. 319 

changed the position of one of the Diomede Islands, but soon came 
to recognize the correctness of the new location when they looked 
at it from another point of view. Their wonder was none the less that 
the stranger could set them right. They then proceeded to designate 
the location of the Esquimaux villages and fishing stations by bundles of 
sticks placed upright; and altogether, the " map" elicited the admiration 
of the visitors. 

It was now necessary to move south to avoid the danger of getting 
frozen in, as also, because their provisions were running low, and it was 
determined by a council of officers that, though the prescribed period of 
their stay — the end of October — had not arrived, it was their duty to 
depart. A barrel of flour and some other supplies were secretly buried 
for the use of Franklin, should he reach the island, and the usual bottle 
inclosing instructions, was placed at the foot of a post or flag-staff. They 
accordingly set sail for Behring's Strait, and after a Avinter's cruise to 
California, the Sandwich Islands, the Bouin Islands, the Loo-Chow 
Islands and others, they returned to Chamisso Island on the 5th of July, 
1827, where they found the deposits of the previous year untouched. 

The barge was got in readiness and dispatched to the northward 
under Lieut. Belcher, and the ship soon followed. It was hoped they 
could extend the survey beyond the point reached by Elson, and per- 
haps obtain tidings of Franklin. They found the posts and bottles jis 
they had been left, and the state of the ice and weather more unfavorable 
than before, and returned before arriving at Icy Cape. On the 9th of 
September the Blossom got aground on a sandbar off Hotham Inlet, 
but came off at high water without injury, and arrived at Chamisso on 
the 10th. Not finding the barge as expected, they carefully scanned the 
coast in all directions, when they noticed a flag of distress flying from a 
peninsula of the sound. Hastening to the rescue, they leaimed that the 
barge had been wrecked and three of the men lost, and took the surviv- 
ors aboard. On the 29th, an unfortunate collision with the natives 
resulted in the wounding of seven of the English, and the killing of one 
of the Esquimaux. In a thorough survey of the island they discovered 
two harbors named by Beechey Port Clarence and Grantley Harbor. 



820 JOURNEY HOMEWARD. 

Leaving the customary deposits for the guidance of Franklin, not 
knowing that he was already safe in England, they finally took their 
departure from the Polar Sea on the 6th of October, 1S27, narrowly 
escaping disaster from breakers, on which they were unexpectedly driven 
by the wind. On the 29th they were off the coast of California, and 
proceeding southward, they touched successively at Monterey and San 
Bias, in Mexico, and arrived at Valparaiso, Chili, on the 29th of April, 
1828. On the last day of June they crossed the meridian of Cape Horn 
in a snowstorm; and arrived at Rio de Janeiro July 21st, where they 
remained until the 24th of August. Leaving the coast of Brazil, they 
arrived at Spithead on the 12th of October, after an absence of three 
years and five months, less seven days. They now learned that Franklin 
had reached home more than twelve months before. 




^lllilli^ 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

PARRY IN SEARCH OF THE POLE PLAN FOR SLEDGE JOURNEYS 

REINDEER TRAVEL GRAVES DISCOVERED MUSSEL BAY FINE 

WEATHER THE "ENTERPRISE" AND " ENDEAVOR " REINDEER 

ABANDONED — ARRIVE AT HECLA COVE — RELIEF THE CHARAC- 
TER OF POLAR ICE. 

Sir Edward Parry conceived the idea of reaching the North Pole by 
a combination of sledge and boat travel, alternately, over the ice and 
water lanes from such points as he should find impassable to his ship. As 
early as the month of April, 1S26, he communicated this design to the 
first Lord of the Admiralty. Being submitted to the Royal Society, and 
receiving its approval, orders were given for its execution, which was 
intrusted to its author, his commission dating Nov. 11, 1826. His old 
ship, the Hecla, was to convey the expedition to the Spitzbergen 
Seas; and two boats were constructed for the more northern trip, on a 
specific plan, under the superintendence of the great navigator. They 
were twenty feet long and seven wide, " having great flatness of floor, 
with the extreme breadth carried well forward and aft, and possessing the 
utmost buoyancy, as well as capacity for stowage." The wood frame 
was of the lightest and best material, and was covered with Macintosh's 
water-proof canvas, tarred on the outside. Over this, fir plank only 
three-sixteenths of an inch thick, then a sheet of felt, and finally oak 
plank of the same thickness as the fir, were firmly fastened with screws 
from without. On each side of the keel, and projecting considerably 
below it, was attached a strong runner, shod with smooth steel, for ice 
travel. Two wheels, five feet in diameter, with a smaller swivel wheel 
aft, were also attached, but afterward rejected as unserviceable. There 
were also provided ropes and collars whereby the men could, without 

waste of time, attach themselves to the boat to drag it over the ice or 
21 331 



322 



PLAN FOR SLEDGE JOURNEl^. 



through water lanes, when necessary. A locker at each end afforded 
storage for instruments and some stores, and a slight framework along 
the side would hold bags of biscuit, pemmican, and clothing. A bamboo 
mast nineteen feet long, a tanned duck sail, answering also the purpose 
of an awning, one boat hook, fourteen paddles, one for each of the boat's 
crew, and one steer-oar, completed the equipment. To each boat were 
assigned two officers, and two sledges, weighing each twenty-six pounds. 
The aggregate weight of a boat, with its supplies and equipment, was 
37 S3 pounds, or 26S pounds to every one of the crew. 




SLEIGH DRAWN BY SINGLE REINDEER. 

All things being in readiness, the Hecla was towed down the Thames 
March 25, 1 82 7, and on the 4th of April left the Nore. With favorable 
winds they were off Hammerfest on the 17th, and reached its harbor 
early in the morning of the 19th, where they remained ten days. While 
Parry, assisted by Lieut. Foster, prosecuted magnetic and other scientific 
observations, Lieut. Crozier was dispatched to Alten, sixty miles away, 
to procure the eight reindeer necessary for the sledges. " Nothing can 
be more beautiful," says Parry, " than the training of the Lapland rein- 
deer. With a simple collar of skin round his neck, a single trace of the 
same material attached to the sledge and passing between his legs, and 
one rein fastened like a halter about his neck, this intelligent and docile 



REINDEER TRAVEL. 323 

animal is perfectly under the command of an experienced driver, and 
performs astonishing journeys over the softest snow. When the rein is 
thrown over on the off side of the animal, he immediately sets off at a 
full trot, and stops short the instant it is thrown hack to the near side. 
Shaking the rein over his back, is the only -whip that is required. In a 
short time after setting off they appear to be gasping for breath, as if 
quite exhausted; but, if not driven too fast at first, they soon recover, and 
then go on without difficulty. The quantity of clean moss considered 
requisite for each deer per day, is four pounds; but they will go five or 
six days without provender, and not suffer materially. As long as they 
can pick up snow as they go along, which they like to eat quite clean, 
they require no water; and ice is to them a comfortable bed." 

Having procured the reindeer, and some supplementary Arctic equip- 
ments, they set sail on the 29th of April. On the 5th of May, in 73 ° 30' 
by 7 28' east, they met loose ice; and 1 10 miles further to the north- 
northwest, in 74 S5'} by a f ew miles east of the meridian of Greenwich, 
on the morning of the 7th, they encountered a continuous ice stream. On 
the 10th they fell in with whalers, who were endeavoring to push to the 
north to latitude 78 °, south of which they never expected to catch whales. 
The Hecla, accompanied by the whalers, made fifty miles to northward 
during the night, sometimes " boring " through with difficulty. On the 
14th, passing Magdalena Bay, they arrived off Hakluyt Headland, and 
worked to the southeast to reach Smerenburg Harbor, which they found 
completely frozen in. Walruses, dovekies and eider-ducks were seen in 
great numbers, and four wild reindeer came near the ship on the ice. 
They now endeavored to make a deposit of provisions on the Headland, 
but were driven off by a high wind, which put the ship almost on her 
beam ends. As the safer alternative they drove the ship through the 
ice, and at four in the morning of the 15th found themselves in a perfectly 
secure situation, half a mile within the ice pack. On the 22d Lieut. 
James C. Ross, with a party of officers and men, effected a landing over 
the ice, and found on a hillock two graves with the dates 174 1 an( l T 7^2, 
and a considerable quantity of fir driftwood, but no harbor for the ship. 

On the 27th an attempt was made to proceed northward with the 



324 FINE WEATHER. 

sledge-boats on the ice, which around the ship resembled a stone-mason's 
yard, with the difference that the blocks were ten times the usual dimen- 
sions. The trial was made, but soon abandoned as utterly impractica- 
ble, because of the high and sharp angular masses of ice that constituted 
the " stone-mason's yard." On the 29th and 30th the greater part of the 
ship's company, under Lieuts. Foster and Crozier, were laboriously occu- 
pied in transporting a boat load of provisions over the ice to Red Beach, 
six miles distant. On the 1st of June Parry was about to make a second 
attempt to proceed to the north, when the Hecla began to move to the 
east with the floe in which she was embedded, and continued to drift 
until the 6th, when she reached Mussel Bay, where Parry, with some 
officers and men, landed to make a small deposit of provisions, and seek a 
harbor for the ship, but failed in the latter object. The drifting con- 
tinued until the evening of the Sth, when, under the influence of a south- 
erly wind, they finally got clear of the ice after a detention of twenty- 
four days. 

" I do not remember," says Parry, "to have experienced in these re- 
gions such a continuance of beautiful weather as we now had, during 
more than three weeks that we had been on the northern coast of Spitz- 
bergen. Day after day we had a clear and cloudless sky, scarcely any 
wind, and with the exception of a few days previous to the 23d of May, 
a warm temperature in the shade, and quite a scorching sun. On the 3d 
of June we had a shower of rain, and on the 6th it rained pretty hard for 
two or three hours." But now the weather was thick and so con- 
tinued until the 10th, when under a west-southeast wind it cleared, and 
they made for Brandywine Bay, with the islands Low and Walden in 
sight, but found every cove and harbor blocked with shore-ice, extending 
in some places six or seven miles from land. Pushing northward to 8o° 
43' 32", the Seven Islands were seen to the east, and Lord Mulgrave's 
Little-Table Island, nine or ten miles to the east-northeast. This is a 
mere crag, rising about 400 feet above sea-level, with a low islet off its 
northern extremity. "This island," says Parry, "being the northernmost 
known land in the world, naturally excited much of our curiosity; and 
bleak, and barren, and rugged as it is, one could not help gazing at it 



HECLA COVE. 



325 



with intense interest." At midnight on the 14th they were at 81 ° 5' 
32" by 19 34/ east, with nothing visible to the north, but loose drift- 
ice. Doubling back they tried to find a harbor on Walden Island, but 
failed, leaving, however, a small deposit of provisions; then, on Little- 
Table Island, where they also failed to find an open harbor, but left some 
provisions on one of the islets. Now sailing south they found on the 
20th, a secure refuge for the Hecla in Treurenburg Bay, near Verlegen 
Hook — both so named by the Dutch — and named it Hecla Cove, in lati- 
tude 79 55' and longitude 16 49' east. 




MUSSEL BAY. 



Leaving the vessel in charge of Lieut. Foster, Parry now set 
out with his two boats, which he named the "Enterprise" and "En- 
deavor," himself in command of the one, with Mr. Beverly as compan- 
ion, and Lieutenant Ross in command of the other, with Mr. Bird as 
companion. Lieutenant Crozier in one of the Hecla's boats, accom- 
panied the party to Walden Island with part of their provisions, together 
with some to be deposited on Low Island. Foster was to make a simi- 
lar deposit near Hecla Cove, to meet the contingency of finding it neces- 
sary to get away with the ships, and to leave one of the ship's boats on 
Walden Island for the use of Parry and his party, in the event of their 
being compelled to return without their own. All possible provision 



326 HIGH LATITUDE. 

having been thus made in advance, the exploring party set out on the 
afternoon of the 21st, and took their final departure for the North Pole 
from their most northern depot on the islet already mentioned on the 
night of the 23d, at half-past ten o'clock, reaching by midnight the lati- 
tude of So° 51' 13". Thus it had taken eighty days at sea, besides six 
months of preparation, before they could get fairly started for the Pole, 
which helps to show that,if that point can ever be reached, the starting 
point must be as far north as possible. By noon of the next day, at 81 ° 
12' 51", they were stopped by the ice and made their first portage. To 
avoid as much as possible the discomfort of "snow blindness," they trav- 
eled by night and rested by day, that is, while the sun was lowest and 
highest, respectively, for they had constant daylight. The daily allow- 
ance of provisions for each man was as follows : Biscuit, ten ounces ; 
pemmican, nine; sweetened cocoa powder, one — sufficient to make one 
pint; rum, one gill; and tobacco, three ounces a week. The fuel was 
spirits of wine — two pints a day for the whole company. 

From the nature of the ice encountered, they had given up the idea 
of using the reindeer; and so the men did the hauling, while the officers 
acted as scouts or pioneers. It required an enthusiasm little short of fa- 
naticism or insanity to struggle as they did for the thirty-three days they 
spent in reaching their utmost limit — S2 45'. Arriving at a lane of 
water, they launched their boats and paddled across to the margin of the 
floe. Landing slowly and carefully — for the ice was usually weak at the 
edge — they hauled them across the ridges and hummocks, and rough ice, 
until they got to another lane. This process was usually repeated several 
times a day, and was so slow' as well as laborious, that at one stage of 
their progress they made only eight miles in five days. On the 22d of 
July they made their best run of seventeen miles, and on the 23d had 
reached the limit already mentioned — 82 ° 45 ' . They continued their 
efforts for three days longer, but the wind having unfortunately veered 
to the north, the floe was found to be drifting south faster than thev 
could advance in the contrary direction. At noon on the 26th they ascer- 
tained that they were three miles south of the point reached at midnight 
of the 22d. It was clearly useless to prosecute the attempt farther. 




327 



328 ARRIVAL AT HECLA COVE. 

Even the energy and enthusiasm, the "enterprise and endeavor," of Parry 
and his men, could not but succumb to such an untoward obstruction. 
Though zealous to fanaticism in pursuit of the object of their ambition, 
neither commander nor men were without sterling common sense. The 
task was hopeless; and their duty was now to return. They were only 
172 miles from Hecla Cove, in a northwest direction. "To accomplish 
this distance," says Parry, "we had traversed, by our reckoning, 292 
miles, of which about 100 were performed by water, previous to our 
entering the ice. As we traveled by far the greater part of our distance 
on the ice, three, and not infrequently five times over, we may safely 
multiply the length of the road by two and a half; so that our whole 
distance on a very moderate calculation, amounted to 580 geographical, 
or 668 statute miles, being nearly sufficient to have reached the Pole in a 
direct line." Among the drawbacks of the season it was noticed that 
there had been "more rain than during the whole of seven previous sum- 
mers taken together, though passed in latitudes from 70 to 15 lower 
than this." 

Devoting a whole day to rest, they set out to return to the ship at 
half-past four in the afternoon of July 27th, and arrived at Hecla Cove 
August 2 1st, the drift materially facilitating their southward progress. 
For instance, on the 30th, though they had traveled but seven miles, they 
found themselves twelve and a half miles farther south than on the pre- 
ceding day; and on the 31st, though in eleven and a half hours they had 
made only two and a half miles, the traveling being very laborious, 
they had with the help of the drift, moved south four miles more. Even 
when the wind again changed to the south, it did not entirely cut off, 
though it sensibly lessened, the gain by the drift. This help, however, 
in nowise lessened the labor and fatigue of the journey, only to the 
extent of shortening its duration. Every mile of the way actually made 
by the travelers was won in the same slow and distressing manner as on 
the outward trip, by alternate paddling in the water and dragging over 
the ice. The constant wet and cold had also affected several of the 
men with chilblains, and the tediousness as well as fatigue of the weary 
journey had begun to tell on their strength and energy. 



RELIEF. 329 

The killing of a bear by Lieut. Ross on the 24th, procured them a 
beneficial and much appreciated change of diet, though, as usual in such 
cases, they suffered somewhat from a too free use of the fresh meat. 
On this trip they observed the phenomenon of red snow, described in a 
preceding chapter. Finally, on the morning of the 12th, they reached 
their depot off Little Table Island, where they found that the bears had 
devoured all the bread, but Lieut. Crozier had recently deposited some 
anti-scorbutics and delicacies, which proved very seasonable, as symp- 
toms of scurvy had begun to appear in some of the men; and also an 
account by Lieut. Foster of what had occurred at Hecla Cove to July 
23d. From this it was learned that the Hecla had been driven ashore 
by the ice on the 7th of July, but had been got off by the exertions 
of officers and men without having sustained any injury. Taking the 
remaining stores aboard, they next proceeded to Walden Island, where 
they landed, after having " been fifty-six hours without rest, and forty- 
eight at work in the boats " — their first repose on land for fifty-two days. 
A blazing fire of driftwood, a hot, abundant supper, and a few hours' 
quiet rest, soon restored them. Securing the extra boat and provisions 
that had been left on the island, they had hopes of soon rejoining the 
ship, but adverse winds and bad weather so delayed them, that it took 
a week to make what had cost them but a day on the outgoing trip. 
Arriving finally on board the Hecla after an absence of sixty-one days, 
they justly felt assured that if perseverance and energy could have won 
success, they would certainly have attained the object of their ambition, 
and floated the union jack at the North Pole. 

On the 28th they left Hecla Cove, and securing the provisions de- 
posited with so much labor on Red Beach on the way, they rounded 
Hakluyt Headland on the 30th, and stood south for England. On the 
17th of September they reached the Shetland Islands, and anchoring 
in the Voe, enjoyed the welcome hospitality of the inhabitants. The 
Hecla being detained in the north by contrary winds, Parry, on the 
25th, went aboard the revenue cutter Chichestei - , which they had fallen 
in with two days before at Long Hope, in the Orkneys, and was 
landed at Inverness on the 26th. He proceeded overland to London, 



330 CLOSE OF PARRY'S CAREER. 

arriving on the 29th of September, the same day on which died aboard 
the Hecla his " Greenland master," who had accompanied him on five 
Arctic voyages. The vessel finally reached the Thames on the 6th of 
October, and with her arrival ended the career of Parry as an explorer, 
though he survived to 1855. He had contributed more than his share 
by effort and achievement toward the solution of the two great prob- 
lems — the Northwest Passage and the Discovery of the Pole; and it 
was through no fault of his that he did not solve both. His attention 
to every necessary detail, and his constant use of every precaution 
against mishap to his men and ships, was remarkable. In this last Po- 
lar voyage he gave — as Wrangell had done before in more eastern lon- 
gitudes — a clear conception of how uneven and almost impassable, and 
broken by water-lanes, is the ice of the Arctic Ocean, and how entirely 
unlike any frozen surface with which the denizens of more southern 
climes are familiar. It was conjectured that around the Pole, and far 
to the south, would be found a solid, uniform crust of ice, on which, 
"with the proper outfit, progress would be as easy and rapid as on one of 
the more southern frozen lakes. This illusion was rudely broken by 
the stern logic of very unwelcome and very obstructive facts. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

ROSS' SECOND VOYAGE EMPLOYED BY FELIX BOOTH — JAS. C. ROSS 

FIRST USE OF STEAM IN ARCTIC VOYAGES — -LANCASTER SOUND 

NIPPED IN THE ICE IN WINTER QUARTERS VISITED BY 

ESQUIMAUX EXHAUSTED TEAMS PROVISIONS REDUCED MAG- 
NETIC POLE DISCOVERED. 

Capt. John Ross, naturally desirous of vindicating his title to fame as 
an Arctic explorer, which had been clouded, if not obliterated by his 
somewhat ignominious failure in 1818, solicited the command of a fresh 
expedition in 1S29, which was refused on the ground of retrenchment in 
that direction. He was now in his fifty-second year, and as has been 
intimated, had distinguished himself for bravery and skill in the French 
war of 1793-1815. Born in 1777, he entered the navy while yet a boy, 
served fifteen years as a midshipman, seven as a lieutenant, seven as com- 
mander, and was promoted to a captaincy in 18 18, before proceeding on 
his first Arctic voyage. The government declining to defray the expense 
of an exploring expedition where so many had proved unsatisfactory, Ross 
sought and found a patron in Felix Booth, a wealthy distiller, at that 
time filling the office of sheriff. Booth was not unwilling to defray the 
expense, but as the parliamentary reward of $100,000 to whoever 
should discover the Northwest Passage might give a color of possible 
interest or far-sighted speculation to his support of the enterprise, " what 
might be deemed by others," he said, "a mere mercantile speculation," 
he insisted on the withdrawal of the prize. This being done, and the 
government being unwilling to be outdone, he was created a knight for 
his munificence. 

Capt. Ross — he was not yet Sir John — was now empowered by 
Booth to provide a vessel and the necessary equipment; and he soon 
proceeded to Liverpool, where he purchased a side-wheel steamer for 

331 



332 FIRST ARCTIC STEAM NAVIGATION. 

the voyage. He is therefore entitled to the credit of being the first to 
contemplate the use of steam power in Arctic navigation. It was rather 
an unfortunate selection, as nothing more unpractical than paddle-boxes 
to encounter ice-floes and ice-packs, can well be conceived. He, how- 
ever, took the precaution to strengthen his ship, and added various im- 
provements to adapt her to the voyage upon which she was about to 
enter. The supply of provisions and stores was calculated on a liberal 
basis for twent}'-eight men for 1,000 days, and cost, including price of 
vessel, $85,000. When fitted she was of 150 tons burden, and received 
the name of the Victory. 

The second in command was the nephew of the Captain, James 
Clark Ross, now a commander only, afterward Sir James Ross, who, 
like his uncle, had entered the navy at the early age of twelve, and had 
served under him in the Baltic, the White Sea, and the coast of Scotland, 
and his first voyage in search of the Northwest Passage, in 1S18, being 
then in his nineteenth year. He had since been with Parry in all his 
voyages from 1S19 to 1S27, and was now in his thirtieth year. It 
will be seen that his Arctic experience was large, and he proved an 
efficient aid to his uncle and chief. 

As the government contribution toward the success of the expedi- 
tion, the admiralty furnished a deck-boat of sixteen tons burden, called 
the Krusenstern, and two strong boats which had been used by Frank- 
lin, together with some books and instruments. The ship and outfit at- 
tracted considerable attention, and among a host of less distinguished 
persons was visited by Louis Philippe, the future king of the French, 
and many other notables. The Victory was to have been accom- 
panied by a tender or store-ship to lighten her burden until they reached 
the ice, but a mutiny on this vessel in Loch Ryan, at the entrance to the 
Firth of Clyde, broke up that arrangement; and she steamed off without 
a consort, from Woolwich, England, on the 23d of May, 1829. Her 
engines, however, proved a source of anxiety to Capt. Ross, and their 
use was soon abandoned. Steamships had as yet been but little used for 
ocean voyages, and the timidity of inexperience was ready to take refuge 
in the old and tried method of sailing. It is true, Fitch and Rumsey, in 



LANCASTER SOUND. 333 

America, had made experiments in the line of propelling vessels by 
steam as early as 17S3 ; and in 17SS Fitch had launched a paddle steam- 
boat in which he made a trip from Burlington to Philadelphia and re- 
turn, at the rate of four miles an hour. Symington, on the Clyde, had 
made his first trip the same year; and in 1807 Fulton made the first real- 
ly successful voyage by steam from New York to Albany, in the Cler- 
mont, making one hundred and ten miles in twenty-four hours against 
wind and tide. In 1808 Stevens made a short ocean voyage by steam 
from New York to Philadelphia. A steam voyage from Glasgow to 
London followed in 18 1 5 ; and one from New York to New Orleans, in 
18 1 8. The first steam voyage across the Atlantic was made by the 
Savannah from New York to Liverpool, in 1S19, but having ex- 
hausted her supply of coal, she was obliged to have recourse to her sails 
toward the close of the voyage. Indeed, it was not until 1S33 that the 
route was considered entirely practicable for steam navigation. Now, 
when even whalers use steam power at least as an auxiliary, one 
is liable to wonder why Ross did not carry forward his original concep- 
tion. It is, therefore, but justice to him to draw the reader's attention to 
the state of the question in that day. 

While sailing up Davis' Strait, the Victory, having received some 
injury to her spars and rigging, put into Holsteinberg, on the Greenland 
coast, just within the Arctic Circle, for repairs. Leaving on the 26th of 
June, they found clear sailing through Baffin's Bay and Lancaster 
Sound, with the thermometer at about 40 , and the weather so mild and 
genial that the officers could dine without a fire, and even with the sky- 
light partially open. They saw no ice or snow except on the mountain 
tops; and at the entrance to Barrow Strait, where Parry at one time en- 
countered such obstruction from the ice, there was seen neither iceberg 
nor ice-floe. 

Passing Cape York on the 10th of August, they entered Prince 
Regent Inlet, and making for the western shore they finally fell in with 
impeding ice between Sepping and El win Bays, on the 12th. The en- 
suing day they arrived at the place where the Fury had been aban- 
doned, but could see no trace of the disabled vessel. Her supplies and 



334 NIPPED IN THE ICE. 

provisions, which, it will be remembered, had been put ashore prepara- 
tory to heaving her on the ice for repairs, were found intact and unin- 
jured, and now furnished seasonable replenishing to tbose of the Victory. 
They left some for the use of possible future navigators, and made 
their own stock good for 1020 days from date. On the 15th they 
reached Cape Garry, just beyond Parry's " limit," but sighted and 
named by him. Since leaving Elwin Bay they had encountered almost 
constant obstruction from ice-floe and icebergs, but not to the same extent 
as their predecessors, having arrived earlier, and the season proving 
much more favorable. Like them, however, they were often compelled 
to make fast to the smaller icebergs, or to ice-floe, and drift with them, 
now backward, now forward, from the shore or toward it, as the wind 
drove or the current ran, with huge towering masses of ice plung- 
ing around on every side. The Victory was at times sorely pressed 
and received several hard knocks and crushing squeezes, besides be- 
ing carried out of her course on several occasions. Once she lost nine- 
teen miles in a few hours, the current speeding fast in a contrary direc- 
tion; yet no serious damage was suffered. 

" Imagine," says Parry, " these mountains hurled through a narrow 
strait by a rapid tide, meeting with the noise of thunder, breaking from 
each other's precipices huge fragments, or rending each other asunder, 
till, losing their former equilibrium, they fall over headlong, lifting the 
sea around in breakers, and whirling it in eddies. Thei-e is not a moment 
in which it can be conjectured what will happen in the next. The atten- 
tion is troubled to fix on anything amid such confusion; still must it be 
alive that it may seize on the single moment of help or escape which 
may occur. Yet, with all this, and it is the hardest task of all, there is 
nothing to be acted, no effort to be made. One must be patient, as if he 
were unconcerned or careless, waiting as he best can for the fate, be it 
what it may, which he cannot influence or avoid." 

Despite all obstacles they continued to make some progress to the 
south, and by the middle of September had explored 100 leagues of 
previously undiscovered coast. They had discovered and named Brent- 
ford Bay, thirty miles beyond Cape Garry, with several fine harbors, 



TERIKSIN. 335 

which were named Ports Logan, Elizabeth, and Eclipse. Landing on 
the coast they took possession of the country for the British crown, and 
named it Boothia Felix, in honor of the patron of the expedition, Sir 
Felix Booth, with Bellot Strait on the north, the Gulf of Boothia on the 
east, and Franklin Strait on the northwest. 

THE VICTORY IN WINTER QUARTERS. 

In what they called by the unpoetic name of Mary Jones Bay, they 
found a secure refuge for the ship, on the 17th of September, 1829, only 
11S days out from Woolwich. To reach it, however, it was found neces- 
sary to cut through the ice, and this being done, they made ready for win- 
ter. The steam machinery was entirely removed, the vessel housed, and 
every precaution adopted to secure the safety of the vessel and the health 
of the men. They were abundantly supplied with necessaries, and the 
harbor was exceptionally safe for those latitudes. Soon they were frozen 
in, with huge masses of ice surrounding them to seaward, and the whole 
landscape covered with snow. The thermometer sank several degrees 
below zero, and they were fairly entered on an Arctic winter, but full of 
hope and bright anticipations of what could be done after the usual nine 
or ten months' detention. 

On the 9th of January, 1830, they were visited by an unusually large 
tribe of Esquimaux, who seemed to be cleaner and brighter, as well as 
better dressed, than the others of their race hitherto encountered. They 
were able to draw for Ross, as others had done elsewhere for Parry and 
Beechey, fairly accurate sketches of the land and sea for many miles 
around Thorn's Harbor, now Felix Harbor, where they lay. As ten 
years before Parry had found the female Iligliuk the most intelligent of 
the Esquimaux on Winter Island, so here the woman Teriksin proved to 
have the clearest ideas of the configuration of the coast of Boothia, 
Felix and the neighboring lands, bays and inlets. With two of the Es- 
quimaux as guides, Capt. Ross, accompanied by Thomas Blanky, first 
mate, set out on the 5th of April to explore a strait to the west, which it 
was hoped might prove a channel to the Arctic Ocean. On this jour- 
ney, as was afterward learned, they had approached within ten miles of 



336 EXHAUSTED TEAMS. 

the point which the younger Ross designated the ensuing year as the 
magnetic pole. But the present party were on an entirely different er- 
rand, and though they discovered a lake and bay, and surveyed the coast 
some sixty miles farther south, the expedition led to no important re- 
sults. The younger Ross set out on the ist of May, and from an emi- 
nence descried a large inlet, which promised an outlet to the Arctic 
Ocean. Returning, he fitted out an expedition to " consist of himself and 
three companions, with a sledge and eight dogs, and provisions for three 
weeks." These set out on the 17th of May, and encountering the lake 
already referred to, and the river — which they named Garry — Ross as- 
cended the hill which he had previously used for his observations, and 
saw a chain of lakes leading back almost to the harbor he had left. 
Moving along the shore of the western inlet, which has since been 
named Sir James Ross' Strait, the party reached Matty Island, and cross- 
ing a narrow strait to the •west, landed on what they believed was the 
mainland, and called King William's Land, but which the exploration of 
Simpson has since shown to be an island, separated from the continent 
by the strait called by his name. 

Pushing north, their dogs became exhausted, and the men had to 
depend mainly on their own exertions. " When all is ice," says Ross, 
" and all one dazzling mass of white — when the surface of the sea itself 
is tossed up and fixed into rocks, while the land is on the contrary, very 
often fiat — it is not always so easy a problem as it might seem on a 
superficial view, to determine a fact which appears in words to be ex- 
tremely simple." But despite exhaustion of dogs and men he kept on 
to the north, and on the 29th reached the most northern point of King 
William's Land, and named it Cape Felix. Here he beheld the wide 
expanse of sea now known as McClintock Channel, extending away to 
the northwest, and to the southwest the narrower channel now called 
Victoria Strait. Proceeding along the latter they arrived 011 the 30th at 
a headland which Ross named Point Victory, and to another which he 
saw in the distance, he gave the name of Cape Franklin. They were 
about two hundred miles distant from Felix Harbor, with only a few 
days' provisions left, and it became necessary to return at once. They 



LADT MELVILLE LAKE. 337 

erected the usual cairn, depositing' a record of their experience and prog- 
ress, and turned their faces to the east, with some misgivings that they 
had already gone too far for their resources. This proved to be the case, 
for, though the men survived, they lost six of the dogs, and were them- 
selves almost exhausted and helpless, when they had the good fortune to 
fall in with some Esquimaux on the 8th of June. Hospitably enter- 
tained and supplied with a store of fish by these poor children of the 
frozen north, they rested one day among them, and reached the ship on 
the 13th, having been absent four weeks instead of three. Capt. Ross 
had meanwhile surveyed Boothia Isthmus, and discovered another large 
body of fresh water, which he named Lady Melville Lake. 

To their surprise and disappointment they were unable to leave their 
winter quarters until the very anniversary of their entrance therein, it 
being the 7th of September, 1S30, when they were set free. Advancing 
only three miles in six days, they were again frozen in on the 23d of 
September; and the remainder of the month and the whole of October 
were consumed in getting her into secure quarters. Here another 
dreary winter had to be passed, and as a precautionary measure, it was 
deemed prudent by Capt. Ross to reduce the allowance of provisions. 
The winter proved exceptionally severe, the thermometer going down 
on some occasions as low as 92 ° below the freezing point, or 6o° below 
zero. Some surveys and local explorations were made in the spring 
of 1 S3 1, but the most important expedition was the one in relation to 
the Magnetic Pole. 

DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH MAGNETIC POLE. 

The scientists of Europe had ascertained by theory and experiment 
that the north magnetic pole would be found somewhere in the neigh- 
borhood of where the Victory was now laid up, or about 70 north, 
by 9S 30' west. The younger Ross, afterward known as Sir James 
Ross, availed himself of the opportunity now furnished by their enforced 
stay in Felix Harbor to make the observations and calculations necessary 
to determine its exact location. The expedition set out toward the end 

of May, 1 S3 1, it having been previously ascertained that they were not 
22 



338 DISCOVERT OF MAGNETIC POLE. 

far distant from the desired point. The weather had turned stormy ; but 
their zeal took small notice of the change, and they hurried forward 
toward the place indicated by Ross' calculations. On the 31st they were 
within about fourteen miles of it; and on the next morning", leaving their 
baggage and provisions on the beach where they had camped, they ar- 
rived at the spot at eight o'clock. "The place of the observation," says 
Ross, "was as near to the magnetic pole as the limited means which I 
possessed enabled me to determine. The amount of the dip, as indi- 
cated by my dipping-needle, was 89 59', being thus within one minute 
of the vertical; while the proximity at least of this pole, if not its actual 
existence where we stood, was further confirmed by the action, or rather 
by the total inaction of the several horizontal needles then in my pos- 
session. These were suspended in the most delicate manner possible, 
but there was not one which showed the slightest effort to move from 
the position in which it was placed." The very force which attracts mil- 
lions of free compass-needles* all over the northern hemisphere in its di- 
rection, was here inactive. The corresponding South Pole of terrestrial 
magnetism has been computed to be at 66° south latitude, and 146 
east longitude — not diametrically opposite therefore, as the geographical 
poles of the earth are. The famous German mathematician, Gauss, com- 
puted that the theoretic location of the north magnetic pole, in 1S31, 
should have been three degrees farther north; but the point determined 
by Ross differed only eleven minutes from Parry's calculations. 

" As soon, " says Ross, "as I had satisfied my own mind on the sub- 
ject, I made known to the party this gratifying result of our joint labors; 
and it was then that, amidst mutual congratulations, we fixed the British 
flag on the spot and took possession of the North Magnetic Pole and its 
adjoining territory in the name of Great Britain and King William IV. 
We had abundance of materials for building, hi the fragments of lime- 
stone that covered the beach, and we therefore erected a cairn of some 
magnitude, under which we buried a canister containing a record of the 
interesting fact, only regretting that we had not the means of construct- 
ing a pyramid of more importance, and of strength sufficient to with- 
stand the assaults of time and of the Esquimaux. Had it been a pyra- 



SLOW SAILING. 339 

mid as large as that of Cheops, I am not quite sure that it would have 
done more than satisfy our ambition under the feelings of that exciting 
day. The latitude of this spot is 70 5' 17", and its longitude 96 ° 46' 
45" west. 

" The land at this place is very low near the coast, but it rises into 
ridges fifty or sixty feet high, about a mile inland. We could have 
wished that a place so important had possessed more of mark or note. 
It was scarcely censurable to regret that there was not a mountain to in- 
dicate a spot to which so much of interest must ever be attached ; and I 
could even have pardoned any one among us who had been so romantic 
or absurd as to expect that the Magnetic Pole was an object as conspic- 
uous and mysterious as the fabled mountain of Sinbad, that it was even 
a mountain of iron, or a magnet as large as Mont Blanc. But nature 
had here erected no monument to denote the spot which she had chosen 
as the center of one of her great and dark powers, and where we could 
do little ourselves toward this end." 

Leaving the magnetic pole, and the abandoned Esquimaux huts 
which they had the good fortune to find there ready for use on their 
arrival, they set out for the ship. Blinded by snowstorms their progress 
was slow and difficult, but they reached the harbor in safety after an 
absence of twenty-eight days. The reader should bear in mind that the 
magnetic poles are variable points, not fixed positions, as was supposed at 
the time of the discovery of the northern one by Ross. Arrived at the 
ship, they were detained some weeks longer in winter quarters; but after 
an imprisonment of eleven months since their futile attempt to escape on 
the previous year, they succeeded on the 38th of August, 1S31, in working 
the Victory into open water. On the 29th they set sail in the vain 
effort to push through the ice, but found the task impracticable. By 
continued exertions for a whole month they had won only four miles; 
and were again frozen in on the 27th of September, in what they might 
appropriately have named Infelix (Unhappy) Harbor. Seven miles in 
two years was such hopeless progress that the distant hills of their native 
land must have seemed beyond their reach forever. But the brave man 
looks at the impossible as calmly as he may, and turns his attention else- 



340 ABANDONMENT OF THE VICTORY 

where. It was therefore determined that on the return of spring their 
energies should be directed to effecting their escape in another way. It 
was recollected that on the beach where the Fury had been abandoned 
by Parry, and where they had, it will be remembered, replenished their 
stores in 1829, there were, among the other supplies, several boats which 
belonged to that ill-fated vessel. It was now designed that they should 
make the best of their way to that point, and availing themselves of the 
boats, provisions and supplies there to be found, make an effort to reach 
the whaling grounds in Baffin's Bay, and thus return, if it might be, to 
their native land. It was a great and arduous undertaking, but not quite 
as hopeless as the attempt to extricate the Victory had been. It was a 
chance for life and liberty, and was worth striving for. 

On the 23d of April, iS32,they entered on the task. Having collected 
the necessary supplies, they set out to remove them over the ice. " The 
loads being too heavy to be carried at once, made it necessary to go 
backward and forward twice, and even oftener, the same day. They 
had to encounter dreadful tempests of snow and drift, and to make sev- 
eral circuits in order to avoid impassable barriers. The result was that 
by the 12th of May they had traveled 329 miles to gain thirty in a 
direct line." This preliminary work having been laboriously executed, 
they returned to the ship, and on the 29th of May took their final leave 
of her. The colors of the Victory were formally hoisted and nailed to 
the mast; the officers and men left her, and last of all, the commander 
bade her adieu. " It was," he says, " the first vessel that I had ever been 
obliged to abandon, after having served in thirty-six during a period of 
forty-two years. It was like the last parting with an old friend, and I 
did not pass the point where she ceased to be visible without stopping to 
take a sketch of this melancholy desert, rendered more melancholy by 
the solitary, abandoned, helpless home of our past years, fixed in immov- 
able ice till time should perform on her his usual work." 

On the 9th of June James Ross, with two companions and provisions 
for two weeks, struck ahead of the main body to ascertain how matters 
then stood at Fury Beach. Fortunately, though some of the boats had 
been washed away since 1829, there were still enough left for their pur- 



TENTING ON FURT BEACH. 341 

pose, and the provisions had remained uninjured. Rejoining the main 
body on the 25th they hastened forward and reached their immediate 
goal on the 1st of July. They erected a large tent which they named 
Somerset House, and began to put the boats in readiness. 

On the 1st of August they took to the boats, a considerable expanse 
of open water being available for their northern progress. They, how- 
ever, as was expected, encountered many obstacles from the ice, but 
slowly and cautiously they threaded their way amidst the dangerous floes 
and packs, reaching the northern entrance of Prince Regent Inlet by 
the close of the month. Arrived there, further progress was barred by 
the impenetrable masses of ice which encumbered its entrance and the 
adjoining portion of Barrow's Strait. They were obliged to haul their 
boats ashore and await a more favorable opportunity. The tents were 
pitched, and Barrow's Strait was scrutinized day by day, but it refused 
to yield them an opening. After watching nearly three 'weeks for the 
chance that it seemed would never come, with their provisions running 
low, and starvation staring them in the face should they remain, it was 
decided to turn their backs once more on England, and go back to 
Fury Beach, where at least an abundance of provisions for their small 
party could still be found. They reached Batty Bay, about half way 
on the return voyage, in the boats, when their further progress by 
water was stopped by the ice. An overland trip to Somerset House was 
a repetition of the labors of the spring, but it was safely accomplished 
in twelve days, and on the 7th of October they were again housed in 
the capacious tent on Fury Beach. 

To make this refuge tenantable during the approaching winter, 
they built a wall of snow four feet thick all around, and placed a board 
roof overhead to receive a deep covering of the same. Stoves were 
found among the abundant stores of the Fury, and by their help this 
extemporized habitation was made fairly comfortable. They got along 
very well until the increasing severity of the weather and the intense 
cold confined them indoors, when scurvy began to appear. On Feb. 
16, 1833, Mr. Thomas, the carpenter, died, and two others soon fol- 
lowed. " Their situation was becoming truly awful, since, if they were 



342 A SHIP IN SIGHT. 

not liberated the ensuing summer, little prospect appeared of their sur- 
viving another year. It was necessary to make a reduction in the allow- 
ance of preserved meats ; bread was somewhat deficient, and the stock of 
wine and spirits was entirely exhausted. However, as they caught a few 
foxes, which were considered a delicacy, and there was plenty of flour, 
sugar, soups and vegetables, a diet could be easily arranged sufficient to 
support the party." While the ice remained firm, it was deemed advisa- 
ble to remove such provisions as they were not likely to need to Batty 
Bay, to be in readiness for the summer expedition to the north. The 
distance was but thirty-two miles, yet it took a month with the reduced 
force to make the transfer, most of them going over the ground eight 
times. 

They left Somerset House once more on the 8th of July, and on the 
1 2th were encamped at Batty Bay, only to repeat the tedious operation 
of watching for the opening of the waters, as on the previous year at 
Barrow's Strait. Thirty-three days' patient scrutiny was rewarded by 
the discovery of a lane into which they could venture with some hope of 
reaching the head of the inlet. On the 15th of August they took to the 
boats, and with patient skill and energy, though the sea was for the most 
part encumbered with ice, they reached Barrow's Strait two days later. 
Here an agreeable surprise awaited them ; for where the year before the 
most tortuous egress was found impracticable, this year, though only two 
weeks earlier in the season, an open sea greeted them on every side. 
Pushing east they approached Cape York, and a week later reached a 
safe harbor on the eastern shore of Navy Board Inlet. 

On the morning of the 26th, at 4 o'clock — none too early for such 
joyful news — they were awakened from their heavy and almost hopeless 
slumbers to learn that a ship was in sight. Quick as men escaping from 
imminent peril, they jumped to their oars, but the vessel disappeared in 
the haze before they could reach her, or attract the attention of those on 
board. And now the revulsion of feeling was fast sinking into despair, 
when a few hours later they had the good fortune to sight another vessel 
lying in a calm. Hurriedly and energetically rowing toward her with 
their eyes fixed in a steady gaze on the glad vision, and their hearts 



THE RESCUE. 343 

wavering between hope and fear, they soon reached the stately ship, 
which proved to be the Isabella of Hull, now a whaler, but fifteen years 
before, the ship in which Ross made his first Arctic voyage. Her captain 
and crew could with difficulty be persuaded that their guests were what 
they represented themselves to be — Capt. Ross and his party of Arctic 
explorers — for had they not been reported dead two years before? It 
was a queer story, and one with which it was useless to try to deceive 
the honest whalers. 

English, they were, of course; any one could see that, despite their 
woe-begone and weather-beaten appearance, and the hospitality of the 
Isabella should be gladly extended to them; but Capt. Ross and his 
party were dead and gone, alas! never more to be seen in the flesh, on 
water or on land! With such demonstration as it was in their power to 
give, the new-comers soon dispelled the doubts and misgivings of their 
countrymen, and as soon as it became clear to them that they were 
indeed the same who had been, mourned for in England as dead, the 
rigging was quickly manned to do them honor, and with three hearty 
cheers Ross and his party were formally welcomed on board the Isabella. 
" Though we had not been supported by our names and characters," 
says Ross, " we should not the less have claimed from charity the atten- 
tions that we received; for never were seen a more miserable set of 
wretches. Unshaven since I know not when, dirty, dressed in the rags 
of wild beasts, and starved to the very bones, our gaunt and grim looks, 
when contrasted with those of the well-dressed and well-fed men around 
US} made us all feel — I believe for the first time — what we really were, as 
well as what we seemed to others. But the ludicrous soon took the place 
of all other feelings; in such a crowd and such confusion, all serious 
thought was impossible, while the new buoyancy of our spirits made us 
abundantly willing to be amused by the scene which now opened. Every 
man was hungry, and was to be fed; all were ragged, and were to be 
clothed ; there was not one to whom washing was not indispensable, nor one 
whom hisbearddid not deprive of all human semblance. All — everything, 
too, was to be done at once; it was washing, dressing, shaving, eating, all 
intermingled. It was all the materials of each jumbled together, while 



344 HONORS IN ENGLAND. 

in the midst of all there were interminable questions to be asked and 
answered on both sides; the adventures of the Victory, our own escapes, 
the politics of England, and the news which was now four years old. 
But all subsided into peace at last. The sick were accommodated, the 
seamen disposed of, and all was done for us which care and kindness 
could perform. Night at length brought quiet and serious thought, and 
I trust there was not a man among us who did not then express where 
it was due, his gratitude for that interposition which had raised us all 
from a despair which none could now forget, and had brought us from 
the borders of a most distant grave, to life, and friends, and civilization. 
Long accustomed, however, to a cold bed on the hard snow, or the bare 
rocks, few could sleep amid the comforts of our new accommodations. 
I was myself compelled to leave the bed which had been kindly assigned 
me, and take my abode in a chair for the night ; nor did it fare much 
better with the rest. It was for time to reconcile us to this sudden change, 
to break through what had become habit, and to inure us once more to 
the usages of our former days." 

The Isabella prosecuted her fishing for five weeks longer, and did 
not set out on her return until the 30th of September. They made the 
Orkneys on the 12th, and Hull on the iSth of October, where the free- 
dom of the city was bestowed on Capt. Ross, and he and his men -were 
entertained at the public expense. On the 19th he set out for London to 
report to the admiralty, and was soon presented to the king at Windsor. 
London, Liverpool, and Bristol followed the example of Hull in bestow- 
ing the freedom of the respective cities on Capt. Ross. The officers and 
men received the customary double pay allowed to Arctic explorers, up 
to the date of abandoning the ship, and the regular pay thereafter. By 
a vote of parliament in 1834, Capt. Ross received a grant of $25,000, 
and was raised by the king to the dignity of a Knight Companion of the 
Bath. Other honors followed from various quarters, foreign and domes- 
tic, and in 1S35 he published "Residence in Arctic Regions," etc., — an 
account of his second voyage. In 1851 he was created a rear-admiral, 
and died in 1856. James C. Ross was raised from the rank of com- 
mander to that of captain, and was soon after engaged in the magnetic 



AN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



345 



survey of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1S36 he made a voyage to 
Baffin's Bay for the relief of the frozen whalers of that year; and in 
1S39-43 was in command of an Antarctic expedition, in which he reached 
within one hundred and sixty miles of the South Magnetic Pole, and on 
the return from which he received the honor of knighthood. In 184*7 he 
published his "Voyage of Discovery in Southern Seas, 1839-43." He 
will again come before the reader as one of the searchers for Sir John 
Franklin, in 184S. 




CHAPTER XXXIX. 

BACK'S ARCTIC JOURNEY LEAVES LIVERPOOL FORT RESOLUTION 

GREAT FISH RIVER AN ARCTIC RESIDENCE AKAITCHO A 

SLEDGE-JOURNEY PASSING RAPIDS CAPE RICHARDSON 

VOYAGE IN THE TERROR THE TERROR NIPPED IN THE ICE 

IMPRISONED A MASQUERADE INCREASE OF LEAKAGE FREE 

AGAIN. 

When Ross had been gone three years on his second voyage without 
any tidings reaching England, his countrymen became solicitous about 
his fate. Dr. Richardson first called public attention to the matter, and 
volunteered his services. As the expedition of Ross was not under gov- 
ernment auspices, a sufficient justification of the expense to be incurred 
would be found in the proposed survey of a portion of the unexplored 
coast of North America. His project was to strike out from Hudson's 
Bay by the northwestern route to Coronation Gulf, where he was to 
commence his search for the missing ship, proceeding in an easterly di- 
rection to Melville Peninsula, thus completing the survey from the Re- 
turn Reef of Franklin, to the Fury and Hecla Sti"ait, of Parry. The 
proposition was favorably received by the authorities, but no action was 
taken, the ministry of that period being too much pre-occupied with the 
intense political activities which then prevailed in England. 

In November, 1833, a public meeting was called at London, to set 
on foot a popular subscription to fit out a private expedition for the re- 
lief of Ross. Twenty thousand dollars were thus raised, to which the 
government, at the suggestion of Lord Goderich — afterward Earl ot 
Ripon, at the time colonial Secretary of State — added ten thousand. 
Capt. Back, who, it will be remembered, had already made two over- 
land journeys to the coast of North America in company with Franklin 

and Richardson, offered his services, which were promptly accepted. 

346 



LEFT LIVERPOOL. 347 

He at once set about his preparations, and to facilitate the execution of 
his plans, he was formally commissioned by the Hudson's Bay Company, 
and received instructions from the colonial office. Accompanied by Dr. 
Richard King as naturalist, and three men who had been with him and 
Franklin in 1S25, Back left Liverpool for New York on the 17th of Feb- 
ruary, 1833, arriving in safety by one of the regular packet ships after a 
stormy voyage of thirty-five days. Proceeding to Montreal, he was 
joined by four volunteers from the royal artillery, and engaged some 
French Canadians as boatmen and porters. They set out in two canoes 
on the 25th of April, and lost two men by desertion on the Ottawa 
River. Reaching Norway House, a post of the Hudson Bay Company, at 
the northern extremity of Lake Winnipeg, Back made his final prepara- 
tions, and set out from that point on the 28th of June, to continue the 
overland ti'ip to the northwest. At Pine Portage he was joined by an 
employe of the Hudson Bay Company, deputed by Gov. Simpson for 
that purpose. His name was A. R. McLeod, and he had just returned 
from the MacKenzie River with a valuable cargo of furs. He was ac- 
companied by his wife, three children and a servant, all of whom were 
now joined to Back's party. They arrived at Ft. Chipewyan, on the 
western end of Lake Athabasca, the 20th of July; and at Ft. Resolution, 
on Great Slave Lake, the Sth of August. Back thus describes his imme- 
diate surroundings in camp at Ft. Resolution : 

"At my feet was a rolled bundle in oil-cloth, containing some three 
blankets, called a bed; near it a piece of dried buffalo, fancifully or- 
namented with long black hairs, which no art, alas! can prevent from 
insinuating themselves between the teeth, as you laboriously masticate 
the tough, hard flesh ; then a tolerably clean napkin, spread by way of 
tablecloth, on a red piece of canvas, and supporting a teapot, some bis- 
cuits, and a salt-cellar; near this a tin plate; close by a square kind of 
box or safe of the same material, rich with a pale, greasy hair, the prod- 
uce of the colony at Red River; and the last, the far renowned pern mi- 
can, unquestionably the best food of the country for such expeditions as 
ours. Behind me were two boxes containing astronomical instruments, 
and a sextant lying on the ground, while the different corners of the tent 



348 AT FORT RESOLUTION. 

were occupied by a washing apparatus, a gun, an Indian shot-pouch, 
bags, basins, and an unhappy looking japanned pot, whose melancholy 
bumps and hollows seemed to reproach me for many a bruise endured 
upon the rocks and portages between Montreal and Lake Winnipeg. 
Nor were my crew less motley than the furniture of the tent. It con- 
sisted of an Englishman, a man from Stornaway, two Canadians, two 
metifs or half-breeds, and three Iroquois Indians. Babel could not have 
produced a worse confusion of inharmonious sounds than was the con- 
versation they kept up." 

Here Back separated from McLeod and his family, five of his men 
being detailed to accompany them, while with the other four he pushed 
forward to the northeast in search of the upper waters of the Thlew-ee- 
Choh, or Great Fish River of the North. On Aug. 19 they began the 
ascent of the series of rapids and waterfalls which form the Hoar Frost 
River; and on the 27th — after eight days of weary struggle with forests, 
swamps, portages, streams, lakelets, rapids, and cascades — Back, from 
the summit of a hill, saw to the northeast the wide expanse of water now 
known as Aylmer Lake. Sending forward three men with a canoe to 
explore the connecting river, Back proceeded to search the vicinity of 
the camp, and discovered the source of the great river he sought, in 
Sand Hill, now Sussex Lake. The men returned on the 29th, having 
reached Aylmer Lake on the second day out; and Back celebrated his 
discovery with them. "For this occasion," he says, " I had reserved a 
little grog, and need hardly say with what cheerfulness it was shared 
among the crew, whose welcome tidings had verified the notion of Dr # 
Richardson and myself, and thus placed beyond doubt the existence of 
the Thlew-ee-Choh, or Great Fish River." 

Attempting to push on to the river proper on the 30th, they found 
the rapids of Musk-ox Lake impracticable with their present equipment, 
and concluded to return to Great Slave Lake for the winter. They 
struck the lakes Clinton-Colden and Artillery on the return trip, and 
abandoning their canoe, set out across the rugged and broken country 
for the appointed rendezvous. Climbing over precipices and picking 
their way through gorges and ravines encumbered with masses of gran- 



AKAITCHO. 349 

ite, they reached the extreme northeast corner of Great Slave Lake 
before the middle of September. Here they found McLeod and his 
party returned; and the framework of a comfortable residence set up by 
them. With the increased help, it progressed rapidly ; and here, on the 
1 6th, they were joined by Dr. King, with two bateaux laden with sup- 
plies. On the 5th of November the house was ready for occupancy, 
and they gladly exchanged their tents for its welcome shelter. It was 
fifty feet long by thirty wide, and was divided into four rooms, besides a 
central hall, where they received their Indian visitors. To it was attached 
a more rudely constructed kitchen. It proved a very severe winter, the 
thermometer descending to 70 below zero, and they were surrounded 
by starving Indians, whom they were but little able to assist from their 
limited stores. Hunting, their only resource, failed them, and they 
haunted the camp of the whites for the occasional relief that could be 
spared them. " Famine, with her gaunt and bony arm," says Back, 
" pressed them at every turn, withered their energies, and strewed them 
cold and lifeless on the bosom of the snow. Often did I share my 
own plate with the children, whose helpless state and piteous cries were 
peculiarly distressing; compassion for the full grown may or may not be 
felt, but that heart must be cased in steel which is insensible to the cry 
of a child for food." 

Akaitcho, an Indian chief of the region near Artillery Lake, now 
opportunely made his appearance at Fort Reliance, the abode of Back 
and his party, with supplies of fresh provisions, which enabled them 
to give some aid to the starving Indians. They also reduced their 
own allowance, the officers contenting themselves with half a pound of 
pemmican per day. The cold grew more intense, and the hunters could 
scarcely handle their weapons. It was found necessary to wrap the 
triggers in leather thongs, the pains arising from the touch of cold steel 
were so excruciating. " Such, indeed, was the abstraction of heat," says 
Back, " that with eight large logs of dry wood on the fire, I could not 
get the thermometer higher than 12 below zero. Ink and paint froze. 
The sextant boxes and cases of seasoned wood, principally fir, all split. 
The skin of the hands became dry, cracked, and opened into unsightly 



350 



NEWS OF ROSS. 



gashes, which we were obliged to anoint with grease. On one occasion, 
after washing my face within three feet of the fire, my hair was actually 
clotted with ice before I had time to dry it." The whites were now 
themselves in danger of perishing, their hunters being unable to replen- 
ish their fast-dwindling stores; but Akaitcho, with his more hardy and 
experienced Indians, succeeded in procuring considerable game, which 
he freely shared with the strangers. " The great chief trusts in us," he 
said, "and it is better that ten Indians should perish, than that one white 
man should perish through our negligence and breach of faith." 

On the 14th of February, 1S34, McLeod removed his family nearer 
to the Indian hunting grounds in the hope of being better able to supply 





\ X \ \ s 



''^iiiiiiBiii'/fiii^'ii'iw?;^:^ \ :\ 

KITCHEN AT FORT RELIANCE. 

their wants. Six of the natives near his new camp died of starvation 
and his party were for a time in some danger of meeting the same fate. 
On the 25th of April a messenger arrived at Fort Reliance, to inform 
Back of the arrival in England, of Capt. Ross and the survivors of his 
party. "In the fullness of our hearts we assembled together," says 
Back, "and humbly offered up our thanks to that merciful Providence, 
who, in the beautiful language of Scripture, hath said: 'Mine own will 
I bring again, as I did sometime from the deeps of the sea.' The 
thoughts of so wonderful a preservation overpowered for a time the com- 
mon occurrences of life. We had just sat down to breakfast, but our ap- 
petite was gone, and the day was passed in a feverish state of excitement." 



A SLEDGE JOURNET. 351 

Back, however, did not relax in his preparations for exploring the 
Great Fish River, to which he could devote himself with the less dis- 
traction, now that he was relieved from all apprehension about Ross. 
Having sent McLeod and his party ahead to hunt, with instructions to 
make deposits of provisions at proper intervals, and having buried 
at Fort Reliance such stores as they desired to take along, Back set 
out on the 7th of June, accompanied by Dr. King, four attendants, and 
an Indian guide. At Artillery Lake he found the boat builders he had 
dispatched in advance, and the boats they had constructed. Taking the 
best of these, he fitted it with runners after the manner of Parry's boats 
in 1S27. They took a fresh start on the 14th, with six dogs attached to 
the boat-sledge, but encountering severe snowstorms and strong winds, 
their progress was slow. - On the 23d they found one of McLeod's de- 
posits containing a supply of deer and musk-ox flesh, and two days later, 
a second — in all, eleven animals. To overcome the squeamishness of the 
men, Back ordered that his own rations and those of the officers, should 
comprise a due share of the objectionable musk-ox flesh, and impressed 
upon them the necessity of combating their prejudices, and using with 
thankfulness such food as the country supjolied. 

Reaching Sand Hill Lake on the 27th, they found McLeod's party 
encamped there; and the next day, after a short portage of only a quar- 
ter of a mile, the boat was launched on the upper waters of the Great 
Fish River. They soon reached Back's limit of the preceding year, and 
having successfully accomplished the long portage of four miles beyond, 
Back made his final dispositions before proceeding to descend the river. 
He directed McLeod with ten men and fourteen dogs to return to Fort 
Resolution to take charge of the supplies to be forwarded to that point 
by the Hudson's Bay Company; to select a permanent fishing station, 
and erect a suitable building; and to return by the middle of September 
to the Great Fish River to afford such assistance as might be required by 
the exploring partv on its return from the north. The carpenters, with 
an Iroquois guide, were sent a day or two later to join McLeod ; and on 
the 8th of July Back, accompanied by ten persons, took his departure in 
the boat, with 3,360 pounds of provisions for the round trip. 



352 PASSING RAPIDS. 

Now began a series of remarkable feats of dexterity and courage. 
Rapid after rapid had to be passed, always with elements of danger, and 
often bristling with chances of disaster. For about a hundred miles they 
had the exciting alternations of cascades and rapids in quick succession. 
In many of these a slight miscalculation, or what in other circumstances 
would be a trifling negligence, would have proved fatal ; but the skill 
and quick dexterity of the men was never at fault, and the boat was 
safely guided through the most precipitous rapids. Sometimes it was 
necessary to unload her, and carry the provisions ahead to be again put 
aboard as soon as the plunge was successfully made. At one time, where 
the river trends to the south, it seemed as if it would conduct them to 
Chesterfield Inlet and Hudson's Bay, but soon it again turned to the 
north, and there remained no doubt that it was the Great Fish River. 
After a time they reached the wide expansions which Back successively 
named Lakes Pelly, Garry, Macdougall and Franklin. On the 28th of 
July they fell in with a tribe of thirty-five Esquimaux, who proved of 
great service to them in making the last long portage, worn out as they 
were by their previous labors. Back descried in the distance the head- 
land at the mouth, which he named Victoria, and concluded that he had 
at length reached the estuary of the river. 

" This, then," says he, " may be considered as the mouth of the 
Thle\v-ee-Choh, which, after a violent and tortuous coui'se of 530 geo- 
graphical miles, running through an iron-ribbed country, without a single 
tree on the whole line of its banks, expanding into five large lakes, with 
clear horizon, most embarrassing to the navigator, and broken into falls, 
cascades and rapids, to the number of eighty-three in the whole, pours its 
water into the Polar Sea, in latitude 67 11' N., and longitude 94 ° 30' 
W., that is to say, about thirty-seven miles more south than the Copper- 
mine River, and nineteen miles more south than Back's River (of 
Franklin), at the lower extremity of Bathurst's Inlet," which opens 
south from Coronation Gulf. Pushing forward along the eastern shore 
of the estuary with great difficulty, without fire, and almost without 
water, in cold, foggy weather, tramping through slush and snow, they 
reached, in ten days, 68° 13' 57" by 94 ° 58' 1", which Back concluded 



VOTAGE IN THE TERROR. 353 

to make the limit of his exploration. Across the estuary to the north- 
west he saw a headland at 68° 46' hy 96 ° 20', he named Cape Richard- 
son, having before named Capes Beaufort and Hay on the eastern side. 

Returning, five weeks were consumed in ascending the river to 
Sand Hill Lake, where they arrived Sept. 16, and found McLeod await- 
ing them with much needed supplies, as many of their provision depots 
had been rifled by the wolves. On the 24th they fell in with some In- 
dians, and soon after abandoned their boat because of the difficulty of 
the ascent, taking their provisions on their backs, about seventy-five 
pounds to each. On the 27th they reached their old quarters at Ft. Re- 
liance, "truly grateful for the manifold mercies they had experienced in 
the course of their long and perilous journey," after an absence of 112 
days on the part of Back and his immediate attendants. All but six were 
sent with McLeod to the fishing station he had selected, and Parry's 
small party settled for the winter, the monotony of which was relieved 
by hunting and occasional visits from Akaitcho and other Indians. 

On the 2 1st of March, 1835, leaving Dr. King with instructions to 
proceed to York Factory, on Hudson Bay, when the season opened, 
there to take ship for England with his companions, Back set out to re- 
trace the overland route to Canada. He visited McLeod and party at 
the fishery, and arrived at Norway House, on Lake Winnipeg, on the 
24th. Here his accounts with the Hudson's Bay Company were ad- 
justed, and he pushed forward through Canada to New York, whence 
he sailed to England, arriving at Liverpool on the 8th of September, 
1835, after an absence of two years and seven months, less nine days. A 
month later Dr. King and the others of the party arrived in England by 
one of the Hudson's Bay Company's ships. Back was awarded the gold 
medal of the Royal Geographical Society, and promoted to the rank of 
post-captain in the navy. The river he discovered was afterward called 
by his name, without, however, entirely losing its older designation. 

BACK'S VOYAGE IN THE TERROR. 

At the instigation of the Royal Geographical Society, Capt. Back 
undertook a voyage of exploration, or survey, mainly to supply some 
23 



354 NIPPED IN THE ICE. 

missing links in the chain of former discoveries in North America. He 
was to make for Wager River or Repulse Bay, as might be found most 
practicable; afid thence to dispatch exploring parties to reach Franklin's 
Point Turnagain to the northwest, and Parry's Fury and Hecla Strait 
to the north, along the western coast of Melville Peninsula. 

The Terror was made ready for sea with the proper equipment of 
men and supplies, and in nine months after his return Back set sail for 
the northwest on the 14th of June, 1836. About the 1st of August they 
encountered the ice in Davis' Strait — Back noticed one iceberg " the per- 
pendicular face of which was not less than 300 feet high" — and soon be- 
came entangled in the ice-floe. Pushing through Hudson's Strait, they 
reached Salisbury Island on the 14th of August, and made across the 
lower portion of Fox's Channel, for the Frozen Strait, on their way to 
Repulse Bay. On the 5th of September they had to force their way 
into open water, and Back thus describes the scene: " The light-hearted 
fellows pulled [the obstructing masses of ice] in unison to a cheerful 
song, and laughed and joked with the unreflecting merriment of school- 
boys. Every now and then some luckless wight broke through the ice, 
and plunged up to his neck ; another, endeavoring to remove a piece of 
ice by pushing against a larger mass, would set himself adrift with it, and 
every such adventure was followed by shouts of laughter and vociferous 
mirth." 

" On the 20th of September, shortly after 9 o'clock," says Back, " a 
floe piece split in two, and the extreme violence of the pressure curled 
and crumpled up the windward ice in an awful manner, forcing it against 
the beam fully eighteen feet high. The ship cracked, as it were, in agony, 
and strong as she was, must have been crushed had not some of 
the smaller masses been forced under her bottom, and so diminished 
the strain by actually lifting her bow nearly two feet out of the water 
In this perilous state steps were taken to have everything in readiness 
for hoisting out the barge; and, without creating unnecessary alarm, the 
officers and men were called on the quarter-deck, and desired, in case of 
emergency, to be active in the performance of their duties at the respec- 
tive stations then notified to them. It was a serious moment for all, as 




355 



356 IMPRISONED. 

the pressure still continued, nor could we expect much if any abatement 
until the wind changed." The next day, after being more than twenty- 
four hours in imminent peril of being crushed by the pressure, " One 
mass of ponderous dimensions burst from its imprisonment below," and 
the staunch Terror, " after several astounding thumps under water," 
regained her upright position, substantially uninjured. They had now 
been a month beset, and had concluded to cut an ice-dock for the ship, 
when the ice-continent began to break up into detached masses and hum- 
mocks. For several days the ship was out of position, with her stern 
seven feet and a half too high, her bow correspondingly low, and 
her deck a slippery inclined plane. On the first of October the vessel 
righted, with a snug dock, just her size, ready made by the ice-king. 
They now proceeded to surround the ship with snow-walls, and to erect 
an observatory on the floe, thus extemporizing winter quarters. 

On the 22d a masquerade party was held on board, and theatrical 
entertainments followed, to the great delight of the heterogeneous crew. 
A few of these were men-of-war's men; half a dozen, perhaps, had seen 
service in Greenland vessels; and the bulk of the remainder, seamen 
only in name, had served in the coasting colliers of England. And so 
the winter wore away with the Terror " securely locked in the ice, but 
with no guaranty against sudden and dangerous surprises, while she 
helplessly drilled — slowly or rapidly, according to circumstances — hither 
and thither, under the influence of the wind and the movement of the 
surrounding ice. Christmas came and went; the first of January, 1837, 
followed; January gave way to February, and there was yet no change. 
As the 19th of that month passed the dividing line into the 20th, a 
new danger arose. For three hours after midnight, the ice alternately 
opened and shut, threatening to crush the stoutly-built Terror, like an 
egg-shell. At 4 o'clock great fissures appeared, and the ice began to 
move. After eight it grew more quiet, and at nine Back summoned the 
men to the quarter-deck to give them such exhortations and advice as 
the occasion required. He reminded them that as British seamen they 
were called upon to conduct themselves with coolness and fortitude, and 
that, independently of the obligations imposed by the Articles of War, 



A CRITICAL HOUR 357 

every one oug'ht to be influenced by the still higher nature of a conscien- 
tious desire to do his duty. They were five to eight miles from the north 
coast of Southampton Island. Extra clothing was dealt to the men;i 
bales of blankets, bear-skins, provisions and fuel were piled on deck, to 
be in readiness at a moment's notice. At noon the floe began to drift to 
the north. " Though I had seen," says Back, " vast bodies of ice from 
Spitzbergen to 150 west longitude, under various aspects, some beauti- 
ful, and all more or less awe-inspiring, I had never witnessed, nor even 
imagined, anything so fearfully magnificent as the moving towers and 
ramparts that now frowned on every side." 

For three hours the ship remained unmolested, except by the usual 
pressure of the ice; but at 5 o'clock an extra nip was received by the 
opening and shutting of the floe in which she "was embedded, and an- 
other an hour later seemed to make every plank groan in agony, while 
she was lifted up eighteen inches. A similar squeeze was experienced 
at seven from the closing of a narrow lane astern ; and then for nine 
hours there was quiet. A movement of the ice at 4 o'clock released 
the ship, and she rode once more in the water, only to be again lifted, an 
hour later, eighteen inches as before. At intervals, there was a jerk 
from the ice underneath, and a squeak from the ship's timbers, but no 
important change till the 15th of March. Back thus records what then 
happened: "While we were gliding quickly along the land — which I 
may here remark had become more broken and rocky, though without 
attaining an altitude of more than perhaps one hundred to two hundred 
feet — at 1 145 p. m., without the least warning, a heavy rush came upon 
the ship, and with a tremendous pressure on the larboard quarter, bore 
her over upon the heavy mass on her starboard quarter. The strain was 
severe in every part, though from the forecastle she appeared to be mov- 
ing in the easiest manner toward the land ice. Suddenly, however, a 
loud crack was heard below the mainmast, as if the keel were broken or 
carried away; and simultaneously the outer stern-post from the ten-foot 
mark was split down to an unknown extent, and projected to the lar- 
board side upward of three feet. The ship was thrown up by the stern 
to the seven and a half feet mark; and that damage had been done was 



358 RELEASE. 

soon placed beyond doubt by the increase of leakage, which now 
amounted to three feet per hour." 

Extra pumps were worked; and the cutters with two whale- 
boats were loaded and hauled off to places of greater security. An 
ever-increasing rush began about 8 o'clock; and at 10:45 **- came 
on with a roar toward the ship, upturning the ice in front, and rolling 
layer upon layer to a height of twenty-five feet. This huge mass 
was pushed forward until it reached the stern, where it stopped, hurling 
however, a considerable fragment on the larboard quarter, creating a 
temporary leakage by the straining of the stern. Two hours later, a 
similar rush with a like consequence took place, with the additional result 
of lifting the ship's stern, and breaking up their "cherished courtyard, its 
walls and arched doors, gallery, and well-trodden paths, which were 
rent, and in some parts ploughed up like dust. Within fifteen minutes 
another surging mass, thirty feet high, was driven toward the star- 
board quarter, creating also a temporary leakage, but the main body 
falling short of the ship as before. The ship cracked and trembled and 
groaned violently; and the rushes continued at intervals, but with dimin- 
ished force until 4 o'clock in the morning of March 16, when it grew 
still. They were only three miles from a spit of land, which was brist- 
ling with shore ice surmounted by a ridge of rolled-up ice perhaps sixty 
feet in height, and which they named Point Terror. 

Now another season of comparative repose set in, lasting almost 
three months, the vessel still drifting with the ice — several hundred miles 
from first to last— when, on the nth of July, while the men were occu- 
pied with the labor of cutting her loose, they were startled by various 
crackings and noises underneath. Soon a loud rumbling was heard, and an 
instant later the ship at length floated free in her natural element, having 
'finally burst the icy bonds which held her fast nine months. During 
four of these she was held out of the water in an ice-cradle, or floating 
ice-dock; and for weeks before being frozen in, she was so closely beset 
that she may be said to have been imprisoned for almost eleven months 
out of the thirteen that had passed since she left England. They had 
cut the ice to within four feet of the stern-post before she broke loose, and 



AT HOME. 



359 



then she was almost capsized by the upheaval of the loosened mass be- 
neath. She righted on the 14th, but there was nothing left except to 
return to England, fortunate if, in her disabled condition she could make 
the voyage. Calking, patching, and staunching her gaping wounds 
as best they could, they sailed for home, relinquishing all attempt to ex- 
tend the scope of geographical knowledge of North America. The Ter- 
ror not only made the voyage in safety, but will be again heard of in a 
second encounter with Arctic dangers. 




CHAPTER XL. 

DEASE AND SIMPSON IN NORTH AMERICA WINTER AT FORT CON- 
FIDENCE SHOOTING ESCAPE RAPID CAPE PELLY RICHARD- 

SON'S RIVER MONTREAL ISLAND MIDDENDORF IN TAIMUR 

PENINSULA DESCENDS THE YENISEI — SAMOYEDS HUNTING 

BUTTERFLIES — ARCTIC ANIMALS TAIMUR LAKE LEFT ALONE 

FAREWELL TO THE TAIMUR. 

Back's land journey and sea voyage left the breaks in the coast sm*- 
vey of North America unclosed, and the task of completing the explora- 
tion was intrusted by the Hudson's Bay Company to two of their officers, 
Peter Warren Dease and Thomas Simpson. At the very time when the 
Terror was floating helplessly in the ice of Frozen Strait and Fox's 
Channel, these overland explorers, with a company of twelve men, were 
swiftly descending the MacKenzie, and in July and August of that year 
(1837) they surveyed the 146 intervening miles between Franklin's Re- 
turn Reef and the spot just bevond Point Barrow, whence Elson returned 
to the Blossom in 1S26, as stated in a preceding chapter. The ground 
was found frozen to a depth of several inches, and the spray froze on the 
oars and rigging of the boats. Two rivers, the Garry and the Colville, 
were discovered. The ice-floe from the north closing in to the shore ice, 
they were compelled to abandon their boats, when the hardier of the 
leaders, Simpson, with some of the more robust of the men, pushed for- 
ward on foot, carrying their provisions on their backs, and on the 4th of 
August reached the goal already referred to. Thomas Simpson was 
well adapted to the arduous undertaking, having once performed the feat 
of marching in mid-winter from York Factory on Hudson's Bay to Ft. 
Chipewyan, on Lake Athabasca, a distance of about 2,000 miles, with no 

protection against the cold but a cloth cloak. 

360 



SHOOTING THE RAPIDS. • 361 

They now returned to Fort Confidence on Great Bear Lake to spend 
the winter, with instructions to devote the ensuing season to extending 
the survey from Franklin's Point Turnagain, of 182 1, to the eastward 
until they met Back's party expected in that region, overland from their 
projected quarters at the head of Repulse Bay or Wager River, which, 
as has been seen, they were unable to reach. On the 6th of June, 1S3S, 
they left Fort Confidence, and ascended a river which empties into Great 
Bear Lake from the north, and which they named Dease River in honor 
of one of the leaders of the expedition. Making thence for the Copper- 
mine, they descended that river to Coronation Gulf, which they reached 
on the 1st of July, after a dangerous passage through the rapids. The 
shooting through Escape Rapid is thus described by Simpson: "A 
glance at the overflowing cliff told us that there was no alternative but 
to run down with a full cargo. In an instant we were in the vortex; 
and before we were aware, my boat was borne toward an isolated rock, 
which the boiling surge almost concealed. To clear it on the outside 
was no longer possible; our only chance of safety was to run between it 
and the lofty eastern cliff. The word was passed, and every breath was 
hushed. A stream which dashed down upon us over the brow of the 
precipice, more than a hundred feet in height, mingled with the spray 
that whirled upward from the rapid, forming a terrific shower-bath. The 
pass was about eight feet wide, and the error of a single foot on either 
side would have been instant destruction. As, guided by Sinclair's con- 
summate skill, the boat shot safely through those jaws of death, an in- 
voluntary cheer arose. Our next impulse was to turn round to view the 
fate of our comrades behind. They had profited by the peril we in- 
curred, and kept without the treacherous rock in time." 

Here they awaited the opening of the ice until the 17th, when they 
proceeded east, reaching Cape Barrow on the 29th. Unable to cross 
Bathurst Inlet because of the ice-pack, they pushed northeast through 
Arctic Sound, doubling Cape Flinders — 6S° 15' by 109 15' — in Kent 
Peninsula, on the 9th of August. Here, in a little bay, which they 
named Boat Haven, about three miles short of Point Turnagain, their 
further progress was blocked by the ice; and here they waited in vain 



362 • RICHARDSON'S RIVER. 

for an opening till the 20th, when Simpson, with seven men and pro- 
visions for ten days, set out on foot. They arrived at Franklin's "limit" 
the first day, and on the 23d they reached a bold, elevated headland, of 
which Simpson says: "I ascended the height, from whence a vast and 
splendid jDrospect burst suddenly upon me. The sea, as if transformed 
by enchantment, rolled its fierce waves at my feet, and beyond the reach 
of vision to the eastward, islands of various shape and size overspread its 
surface ; and the northern land terminated to the eye in a bold and lofty 
cape, bearing east-northeast, thirty or forty miles distant, while the con- 
tinental coast trended away southeast. I stood, in fact, on a remarkable 
headland, at the eastern outlet of an ice-obstructed strait. On the exten- 
sive land to the northward I bestowed the name of our most gracious 
sovereign, Queen Victoria. Its eastern visible extremity I called Cape 
Pelly, in compliment to the governor of Hudson's Bay Company. 

Simpson now retraced his steps to Boat Haven, which he reached on 
the 30th, having surveyed one hundred and forty miles of coast-line to 
the east of Point Turnagain. Preparations were rapidly made for the 
return to Foi't Confidence, and they began the ascent of the Copper- 
mine River on the 3d of September. Arriving at the mouth of the Ken- 
dall River, they struck out across the country to the West — leaving the 
boats until they should need them in the spring — and reached their win- 
ter quarters on the 14th. 

Setting out in June, 1839, for their third expedition, they devoted a 
week to exploring Richardson's River, which enters Coronation Gulf in 
longitude 1 15 56', and arrived at the gulf toward the end of the month. 
To their great surprise and delight they found it almost free of ice, and 
pushing rapidly east, they doubled Cape Barrow on the 3d of July. 
. Reaching Cape Franklin, Simpson's limit of the previous year, a month 
earlier than on that occasion, they doubled Cape Alexander, at the 
eastern entrance of Dease's Strait, in latitude 68° 55' and longitude 
106 45', on the 28th. They now coasted the large bay or gulf extend- 
ing five or six hundred miles to the east, still unnamed, until the 10th of 
August, when they entered the narrow strait which separates the conti- 
nent from King William's Land — now proved to be an island — and 



MURDER OF SIMPSON. 363 

which has been named in honor of the explorer, Simpson's Strait. On 
the 13th they passed Richardson's Point and Point Ogle, on the estuary 
of the. Great Fish River — Back's limit in 1S34. On the 16th, still follow- 
ing the southern trend of the estuary, they reached Montreal Island, 
where Back had left a deposit of provisions. The pemmican was 
found unfit for use, and the chocolate also for the most part, but they 
managed to scrape up enough to make a kettle full, and picked up a tin 
case and a few fish-hooks, "of which," says Simpson, "Mr. Dease and I 
took possession as memorials of our having breakfasted on the very spot 
where the tent of our gallant, though less successful precursor, had stood 
that very day five years before." 

Still pushing eastward, they reached Aberdeen Island four'days later, 
and their limit on the 35th. This was near Cape Herschel, and was 
marked by the usual cairn and deposit of documents. From a monu- 
ment top three miles inland they beheld Boothia Felix to the north and 
some islands in Boothia Gulf to the east, and were in fact on what is now 
known as Boothia Isthmus^, but which for a time was supposed to be a 
peninsula, and named after Simpson. They were about ninety miles 
south of the North Magnetic Pole as ascertained by Ross eight years 
before. Retracing their course and making a digression to the north 
through Victoria Strait to explore the east coast of Victoria Land about 
150 miles, they reached the Coppermine on the 16th of September, and 
Fort Confidence on the 24th, after a boat voyage of 1,600 miles and an 
absence of not quite four months. Simpson, the hero of these expedi- 
tions, did not long survive, having been assassinated the ensuing year, 
at the early age of thirty-six, by his Indian guides, between the head 
waters of the Red River and the Mississippi, while on his way to 
England. 

MIDDENDORF IN TAIMUR PENINSULA. 

On the 4th of April, 1S43, the academician, Th. Von Middendorf, 
accompanied by a Danish forester named Brandt, and a single servant, 
had arrived on the Yenisei, below Turuchausk — 61 ° by 90 30', east — 
with a commission from the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg to 



364 DESCENT OF THE YENISEI. 

explore the northernmost peninsula of Asia, known as Taimur. * It lias 
been stated in a preceding chapter how one of the brothers Laptew had 
reached the mouth of the Taimur River, in 1741. It was now deemed 
desirable in the interests of science to ascertain the effect of summer in 
the most northern continental climate of the globe. Middendorf, an em- 
inent naturalist, volunteered his services, which were gladly accepted. 
He was eminently qualified for the undertaking, being possessed of great 
physical strength, manual dexterity and powers of endurance, besides his 
recognized intellectual ability, untiring zeal for science, and indomitable 
determination. * 

Descending the Yenisei to the point whence he determined to strike 
across the country, he was joined by the topographer of the expedition 
and three Cossacks, and some native Tungusi guides. These prelimina- 
ries were scarcely adjusted when some of the company were taken 
down with the measles. A primitive ambulance -was provided for them, 
in the shape of boxes lined with skins, and placed on sledges. Clearing 
the forests on the 13th, they struck the open .tundras with the thermom- 
eter 36 below zero. Pushing to the northeast they crossed the Pasina 
River, and falling in with one Samoyed horde after another — the tempo- 
rary and only residents of those cold regions — they reached Filipowskoi- 
Karonoi, in latitude 71 ° 5', on the Boganida, which flows south and 
joins the Cheta, an affluent of the Chatanga. This flows northeast to the 
Polar Sea, on the eastern coast of the Taimur Peninsula, and Midden- 
dorf was anxious to reach it before the melting of the snow. Here, how- 
ever, he was compelled to halt, as all of his party were sick with the 
measles. Making an excursion to the Chatanga to start the necessary 
preparations for his voyage down that river, but finding the epidemic 
prevailing at Chatangskoi, he quickly changed his purpose, and deter- 
mined to proceed almost due north for Taimur River. Returning to 
Filipowskoi-Koronvi, he quickly procured the construction of the frame- 
work of a boat of twelve feet keel, and set out on the 19th of May, 
with the topographer, an interpreter and two Cossacks, and sixty-eight 
reindeer, in company with some Samoyeds who were bound that way. 
Brandt and the others were left behind, with instructions to occupy them- 



SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS. 365 

selves, as soon as able, with making meteorological observations, and col- 
lections of the fauna and flora of the country. 

Reaching the Novaya River, a tributary of the Taimur, the party 
suffered severely from a terrific snowstorm from the 37th to the 30th. 
Resuming their journey on the 31st, they made slow progress over 
the fresh-fallen snow, and did not strike the Taimur until the 14th of 
June, in latitude 74 . Middendorf now pitched his tents, and proceeded 
to complete his boat, which he named the Tundra. The ice began to 
break up on the 30th, and on the 5th of July she was launched by the 
light of the midnight sun. North winds delayed his progress to and 
through Taimur Lake, but beyond the increased rapidity of the current, 
hurried him on. On the 6th of August they had the first frost, and on 
the 24th they reached the sea, in 75 40'. 

The statement of the eminent Swiss naturalist, De Saussure, that the 
difference between light and shade is greatest in summer and in the 
higher latitudes, received confirmation from the observations of Midden- 
dorf. With the thermometer at 37 ° below zero in the shade, the hill- 
sides exposed to the sun were dripping with wet, and toward the end of 
June, with the mean temperature below the freezing point of water, the 
snow had already disappeared from the sunny side of the Taimur. Tor- 
rents swept down the hillsides, and the great rivers rose forty feet above 
the winter level, sweeping the ice along to the sea. On the 3d of 
August, Middendorf, in light underclothes and barefooted, hunted but- 
terflies in latitude 74 15', the thermometer rose to 68°, and near the 
ground to S6°, while at a spot exposed to the northeast wind it fell to 27 . 
The moisture of the air was very great; in May thick snow fogs ob- 
scured the atmosphere; in June these changed to vapor fogs, which daily 
turned to light, intermittent showers, but toward midnight the atmos- 
phere usually grew clear and serene. Contrary to Arago's opinion, it 
was found that thunderstorms occur within the Arctic, and winds rose 
very suddenly. Toward the end of August the south and north winds 
seemed to struggle awhile for the supremacy, but the north wind soon 
gained the ascendency. The fall of snow is comparatively light, and for 
the most part is swept by the fierce winds into ravines, and to the great 



366 AN EPIDEMIC. 

ridges of snow-drift which form the dividing line beyond which the wan- 
dering Samoyeds do not penetrate. Middendorf was astonished to find 
on the tundra, toward the end of winter, only two to six inches of snow, 
and in the lakes and rivers only four to eight feet of ice, according to the 
quantity of snow with which it was covered, as far north as 74 . The 
land was found to consist of barren plateaux, with occasional undulating 
heights, where the scant vegetation scarcely concealed the boulders and 
sand which formed the underlying crust. A brownish moss is the chief 
covering of the soil, except where along the streams and in depressions 
the grass gains the ascendency, and in specially favorable situations at- 
tains a growth of three or four inches. On the protected slopes of lake 
and river, Middendorf found considerable patches of green sward, with a 
good growth of grass and flowers. If one wishes " to see the grass 
grow," he should visit the Taimur, where the progress of vegetation is 
probably the most rapid in the world. The animals found were the 
same as are encountered in both hemispheres as high as latitude 75 ° — 
snow-hares, foxes, wolves, reindeer; bees, hornets, butterflies, caterpil- 
lars; spiders, flies, gnats; and last, though not least, the wary gull and 
ptarmigan. 

Notwithstanding the energy and quickness of Middendorf, the accu- 
mulated result of numerous petty delays was, that he only reached the 
Taimur at a date when he should have been on his way back. The 
epidemic had not only struck his own immediate party, but the inhabi- 
tants of Chatangsk, whence he had originally proposed to take the 
quicker route by river, and also the horde of Samoyeds, on whose guid- 
ance and aid he had relied. Devoting a single day, the 25th of August, 
to the observation of the Polar Sea, he saw it free from ice as far as the 
eye could reach from an elevated point on the coast, and on the 26th set 
out on his return. "The great distance," he says, " from any human hab- 
itation, the rapid stream, against which he had now to contend, and the 
advanced season, with its approaching dark nights and frosts, made our 
return an imperative necessity, and I could have but little reliance on our 
remaining strength. The insufficient food and the fatigues of our jour- 
ney, often prolonged to extreme exhaustion, had reduced our vigor; and 





TRISCHTTN— A SAMOVED CHIEFTAIN. 



mi 



368 LEFT ALONE. 

we all began to feel the effects of our frequent wading through cold 
water when, as oftemhappened, our boat had grounded upon a shallow, 
or when the flat mud banks of the river gave us no alternative for reach- 
ing the dry land. It was now the second month since we had not slept 
under a tent, having all the time passed the nights behind a screen, 
erected on the oars of the boat as a shelter against the wind." 

The north wind helped them forward, and with oars and sail they 
proceeded to the south, passing two rapids which they at first thought 
insurmountable. On the 31st a gust of wind drove them on a rock, dis- 
abling their rudder; and on the 5th of September another drove them on 
a sand bank in the northern end of Taimur Lake. With the tempera- 
ture at only 27 at noon, their clothes were covered with a solid ice- 
crust; and scarcely a day passed without sleet or snow. On the Sth they 
left the sand bank, the storm having at length subsided, but on the 9th 
were dismayed at finding the new ice forming in their rear. While 
putting forth every effort to reach the river, the boat was crushed be- 
tween two ice-floes, and with difficulty was got ashore, disabled and 
worthless. Making a hand-sledge they pushed forward on the 10th; but 
on the morning of the nth, Middendorf was unable to proceed. But 
with a heroism worthy of an Arctic explorer, he ordered his compan- 
ions forward to reach, if possihle, the Samoyeds before the period of 
their annual return to the south, and thus save themselves, and possibly 
him too, if they should fall in with the nomads soon. The scant supply 
of provisions, supplemented by Middendorf s dog, was divided into five 
equal rations, and his four companions set out, leaving the brave Mid- 
dendorf to struggle alone with his disease, and the surrounding 
desolation. 

"My companions had now left me twelve days," says Middendorf; 
"human assistance could no longer be expected; I was convinced that I 
had only myself to rely upon, that I was doomed, and as good as num- 
bered with the dead. And yet my courage did not forsake me." Thus 
he lay three days longer until his sad thoughts threatened to unseat his 
reason, when, as he says, a saving thought flashed upon him. "My last 
pieces of wood were quickly lighted, some water was thawed and 



TRrSCHUW. 369 

warmed; I poured into it the spirits from a flask containing a specimen 
of natural history, and drank. A new life seemed to awaken in me; my 
thoughts returned again to my family. Soon I fell into a profound sleep 
— how long it lasted I know not — but on awakening, I felt like another 
man, and my breast was filled with gratitude. Appetite returned with 
recovery, and I was induced to eat leather and birch-bark, when a ptar- 
migan fortunately came within reach of my gun. Having thus obtained 
some food for the journey, I resolved, though still very feeble, to set out 
and seek the provisions we had buried. Packing some articles of dress, 
my gun and ammunition, my journal, etc., on my small hand-sledge, I 
proceeded slowly, and frequently resting. At noon I saw, on a well- 
known declivity of the hills, three black spots which I had not previ- 
ously noticed, and as they changed their position, I at once altered my 
route to join them. We' approached each other, and — judge of my de- 
light — it was Trischun, the Samoyed chieftain whom I had previously 
assisted in the prevailing epidemic, and who now, guided by one of my 
companions, had set out with three sledges to seek me. Eager to serve 
his benefactor, the grateful savage had made his reindeer wander with- 
out food over a space of one hundred and fifty versts (eighty-seven miles) 
where no moss grew. 

" I now heard that my companions had fortunately reached the 
Samoyeds, four days after our separation; but the dreadful snowstorms 
had prevented the nomads from coming sooner to my assistance, and 
had even forced them twice to retrace their steps. On September 30th 
the Samoyeds brought me to my tent; and on October 9th we bade the 
Taimur an eternal farewell. After five months we hailed with delight, 
on October 20, the verge of the forest, and on the following day we 
reached the smoky hut on the Boganida where we had left our friends." 

Middendorf fell short nearly two degrees of reaching the north point 

of the peninsula, and of Asia, called Cape Chelyuskin, in honor of a 

Russian explorer of that name who reached it by land in 1742. Six 

years earlier Prontschischev had reached within a few minutes of it, and 

one of the Laptews, in 1739, within 50', in their coasting vessels. But 

even had there been time to make the trip, Middendorf might have pre- 
24 



370 



OBJECT OF THE JOURNET. 



ferred to spend it in extending his observations on the fauna and 
flora, the meteorology and climate of Taimur. It will be remembered 
that these, and not geographical discovery, were the objects of his 
expedition. 





PART IV. 



FRANKLIN flNH SEARCH tfEYflEES, 




" On the frozen deeps re-pose, 
^Tis a dark and dreadful hour, 

When round the ship the ice-fields close, 
And the northern night-clouds lower. 

But let the ice drift on ! 

Let the cold blue desert spread; 

Their course with mast and flag is done- 
Even there sleei) England'" 's deadP 



-MRS. HEMANS. 



CHAPTER XLL 

FRANKLIN'S LAST VOYAGE TEMERITY OF FRANKLIN AND PARTY 

CHOSEN BV THE ADMIRALTY — -THE EREBUS AND TERROR LAST 

INTELLIGENCE OF FRANKLIN FRANKLIN'S FAVORITE THEORY 

THE SEARCH COMMENTS ON ARCTIC SCIENCE. 

Surely "through desire, a man having separated himself, seeketh and 
intermeddleth with all wisdom." 

When the wise man, three thousand years ago, made this profound 
deliverance concerning the investigating spirit of mankind, he certainly 
must have cast a prophetic eye down the ages, and anticipated the inarch 
of science and the coming tread of universal knowledge. Doubtless, he 
saw the New World discovered, and peopled with an enterprising race 
of beings, whose aims and intelligence were not restricted to the obser- 
vance of a few lifeless forms. He must have seen Bacon, who, as the dis- 
ciple of forgotten Aristotle, set in motion the now irresistible ball of in- 
ductive science, to be given a fresh impulse by its more modern expo- 
nent, J. Stuart Mill. Possibly, too, he descried the inventions of our re- 
cent times, and the crowning triumphs of Edison, Bell and Gray. At 
any rate, enough has long ago been realized to justify the wise old sage's 
encomium upon human enterprise. Men, for the sake of the truth, have 
separated themselves, not only in the sense of being students of it, but in 
some cases this separation has been literal and complete, involving total 
isolation from society and its advantages, and often a sacrifice of life itself. 

It is, perhaps, difficult for the average mind to appreciate the feeling 

which prompts men to suffer in the cause of some favorite theory. It is 

easy to understand the impulses which induce men to fall for the sake of 

their firesides, or to bleed for the honor of their native country. The one 

feeling is the domestic or paternal instinct which naturally shields its 

own; and the other is the almost universal sentiment of patriotism. But 

373 



374 TEMERITT OF FRANKLIN AND CREW. 

to walk forward into death or danger for the sake of demonstrating a 
truth whose very utility is not made wholly certain, implies a feeling 
not so common, nor so easy to analyze. 

Such a spirit was that shown by Sir John Franklin and his faithful 
followers, in their last eventful voyage, which, so far as the limited data 
will permit, we are now about to describe. It has already been related 
how Franklin, from the son of a poor freeholder, and the position of 
midshipman, rose successively to the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain, and 
finally, having been chosen a member of the Royal Society, was knighted 
and became a rear-admiral of the Royal Navy. His international renown 
appears from the fact that the French Geographical Society awarded 
him their gold medal, and at a subsequent time elected him correspond- 
ing member of the Institute of France. The Greek nation, also, whom 
he had materially aided in their war of liberation, gave him formal and 
substantial token of their appreciation and gratitude. In 1836 he was 
appointed Governor of Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, as it was then 
called, and although political difficulties disturbed his administration to 
some extent, his wise and moderate control secured for him the warm 
approbation of the government, and the lasting affection of his colonists. 
The latter established a college and a philosophical society in his honor; 
and years after they testified that the memorv of his rule was still 
cherished by subscribing £1,700 toward an expedition designed by 
Lady Franklin for his rescue or discovery. 

The belief in a Northwest Passage, which had in the early part of 
the nineteenth century been merely vague or conjectural, had now grown 
into a settled conviction. Franklin's own researches had done much to 
eliminate the mysteries which had hitherto enshrouded the northern coast 
of the New World, and only the last few links in the chain of discovery 
were supposed to need forging before the long cherished project could re- 
ceive its full realization in the proof of a passage from Baffin's Bay to 
Behring's Strait. 

In 1S45, accordingly, the British Admiralty organized a new expedi- 
tion to make another attempt at the Northwest Passage. The leading 
scientific men of England had been urging the step for more than a year, 




BUST OF FRANKLIN. 



375 



376 CHOSEN BT THE ADMIRALTY. 

and the necessary appropriation having finally been made, definite steps 
were soon taken to begin the enterprise. During the time which the 
admiralty had taken to choose a commander, Sir John, who had lately 
arrived from Tasmania, was heard to remark that he thought it due to 
him as the senior Ai"ctic explorer of England. 

' As soon as it was known that he would go if asked, the admiralty 
were of course only too glad to avail themselves of the experience of 
such a man; but Lord Haddington, with that kindness which ever dis- 
tinguished him, suggested that Franklin might well rest at home on his 
laurels. ' I might find a good excuse for not letting you go, Sir John, 
said the peer, 'in the telling record which informs me that you are sixty 
years old.' 'No, no, my lord,' was Franklin's rejoinder, 'I am only 
fifty-nine.' Before such earnestness all scruples vanished. The offer 
was officially made and accepted. To Sir John Franklin was confided 
the Ax'ctic expedition, consisting of H. M. S. Erebus, in which he hoisted 
his pennant, and H. M. S. Terror, commanded by Capt. Crozier, who 
had recently accompanied Sir James Ross in his wonderful voyage to the 
Antarctic Seas." 

The two vessels were thoroughly refitted and furnished with all that 
experience could suggest as useful or necessary. Provisions for three 
years were made ready, and a crew of over a hundred men were chosen 
from the very cream of the British navy. Among the officers were 
Lieuts. Gore and Fitzjames, whose genius and energy stamped them as 
no common officers. 

The ships left England in May, and were known by the third of 
July to have reached a point near Disco, Greenland, where a small ship 
which had' accompanied them, took on board the last letters of the 
officers and crews for home. They were afterward seen in the latter 
part of July by a whaler, who described them as " moored to an iceberg, 
waiting for a chance to enter Baffin's Bay." From that day till the 
present not one of that gallant band has ever been seen alive, and not 
till years afterward was anything definite discovered concerning their 
fate. All that historians can do is to follow the ships in the imagina- 
tion by the aid of the plans laid down beforehand for the guidance of the 



FRANKLIN'S FAVORITE THEORY. 377 

party; to conjecture as best they may concerning the particular circum- 
stances of those last trying hours; and to relate the sad stories of those 
whose mournful discoveries complete the melancholy scene. 

From the instructions of the admiralty, and from the scanty record 
left by the lost explorers, we are able to trace with comparative assur- 
ance the course of Franklin after he entered upon the special object of 
the expedition. We find that, after the last intelligence of Sir John 
Franklin was received, bearing date of July, 1845, from the whalers in 
Melville Bay, his expedition passed on to Lancaster Sound and entered 
Wellington Channel, of which the southern entrance had been discov- 
ered by Sir Edward Parry in 1S19. The Erebus and Terror sailed Up 
that strait for 150 miles, and reached, in the autumn of 1S45, ^ ie same 
latitude that was attained, eight years subsequently by H. M. S. Assist- 
ance and Pioneer. Whether Franklin intended to pursue this northern 
course, and was only stopped by ice in the latitude of 77 N., or pur- 
posely relinquished a route which led so far away from the already 
known seas off the coast of America, must be a matter of speculation; 
but the record assures us that the expedition having accomplished this 
examination, returned southward from latitude 77 °, which is at the head 
of Wellington Channel, and re-entered Barrow's Strait by a new chan- 
nel between Bathurst and Cornwallis Islands. 

It was a favorite theory of Franklin's that the best way of securing 
a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific was by following as nearly as 
possible the coast line of North America. Indeed, it was his opinion, 
and subsequently that of McClintock, that no passage by a ship can ever 
be accomplished in a more northern direction. Since, therefore, when 
Franklin sailed in 1S45, the discovery of a Northwest Passage was re- 
duced to the finding of a link between Parry's discoveries on the east 
and his own on the west, it is probable that, in obedience to orders, he 
steered for the southwest. Passing, as is thought, down Peel's Strait in 
1846, and reaching as far as latitude 70 5' north, and longitude 9S 23' 
west, where the ships, as the record shows, were beset, it is clear that he, 
who with others had previously ascertained the existence of a channel 
along the coast of America, with which the sea wherein he met his death 



378 THE SEARCH. 

had a direct communication, was the first real discoverer of a Northwest 
Passage. As will be seen in another place, the gallant McClure had 
worked out another passage long before the course of Franklin came to 
light. This fact, while it is a worthy source of honor to the adventu- 
rous Irishman, must not be allowed to detract from the fame of those 
who, as their epitaph fitly says, " Forged the last link with their lives." 

The account which it is possible to give of the last days of Franklin 
is, of necessity, very limited. As the expedition was provisioned for 
three years, a year and a half elapsed before any anxiety was felt con- 
cerning its welfare; but after a council of naval officers had been held, it 
was decided that, should no news arrive that summer, preparations should 
be made for its relief. As is generally known, the British Government 
afterward fitted and sent out a whole series of vessels, and spent immense 
amounts of money in prosecuting the search. Lady Franklin spent the 
greater part of her private fortune, and the United States came bravely 
to the front in the Grinnell expeditions. Aside from their importance in 
relation to the grand object, these expeditions added immensely to geo- 
graphical knowledge, and in general, were invaluable for their contribu- 
tions to science. 

An account, as extended as space will permit, will be given of each 
of these daring ventures in their turn. 

The writer deems it proper at this point, to comment briefly upon 
the results to the world at large of the voyages of Franklin and others. 
The young student and the unthinking of any age, are apt to look upon 
these discoveries as isolated in time and causal relations from the every- 
day knowledge which they possess on these subjects, and which they 
easily glean from the popular text-books. They should remember that 
the first certain knowledge of these regions was gained by these self-sac- 
rificing men, and many of the now well-known individual facts were 
gathered by them under the trying circumstances which we have been 
describing. The result of Franklin's researches for example are not 
alone nor chiefly seen in the account of his voyages, but in the map, per- 
fected by his bravery and diligence, from which the school-boy of every 
nation cons his lesson. The conclusions on the subject of terrestrial 



COMMENTS ON ARCTIC SCIENCE. 



379 



magnetism are not alone found in the reports to the admiralty, but the 
facts discovered and principles deduced form part of the physics and the 
astronomy of the common school and college. Observations taken here 
upon the subject of botany have not their sole lodging-place in the arch- 
ives of the Royal Society. They may be formulated and perhaps veri- 
fied by Wood, Gray, and other modern disciples of Linnaeus; but it was 
the strong faith and daring of Kane and Richardson, that first plucked 
the flowers, and made the facts respecting them take their places among 
the vast assemblage of Nature's witnesses. The relation between the 
lives of these men and the individual thought and action of the present 
time, is far more real and intimate than is commonly admitted. Hence 
the propriety of becoming acquainted with these heroes, in the story of 
their careers; enabling us to give them due homage, and stimulating us 
as they have done, to sacrifice something for the common brotherhood. 




I. 







CHAPTER XLII. 

SEARCH FOR FRANKLIN LAST NEWS — -THREE EXPEDITIONS PLANNED 

EXPEDITION UNDER RICHARDSON AND RAE INSTRUCTIONS OF 

THE ADMIRALTY ARRIVE IN AMERICA A TROUBLESOME SONG- 
STER METHY PORTAGE — A CACHE MENDACIOUS ESQUIMAUX. 

The prolonged absence of Franklin, and the entire lack of knowledge 
regarding his condition and exact whereabouts, at last gave rise, as we 
have seen, to serious apprehensions on the part of the admiralty. It was 
true the last letters received from the party were of the most hopeful, 
buoyant tone. The expedition, it will be remembered, sailed from Eng- 
land on the 19th of May, 1S45, an< ^ eari y i n J U1 V nac ^ reached Whale- 
fish Island, near Disco, on the Greenland coast of Davis' Straits, where, 
having found a convenient port, the transport which accompanied it was 
cleared and sent home to England, bringing the last letters that have been 
received from the officers or crew. The following extract of a letter 
from Lieut. Fairholme of the Erebus, will serve to show the cheerful 
anticipation of success which prevailed throughout the party and the 
happy terms on which they were with each other. 

" We have anchored in a narrow channel between two of the islands, 
protected on all sides by land, and in as convenient a place for our pur- 
pose as could be possibly found. Here we are, with the transport along- 
side, transferring most actively all her stores to the two ships. * * * 

" Of our prospects we know little more than when we left England, 
but look forward with anxiety to our reaching 72 °, where it seems we 
are likely to meet the first obstructions, if any exist. On board we are 
as comfortable as it is possible to be. I need hardly tell you how much 
we are all delighted with our captain. He has, I am sure, won not only 
the respect, but the love of every person on board by his amiable man- 
ner and kindness to all; and his influence is always employed for some 

880 



ANXIETT. 381 

good purpose, both among the officers and men. He has been most suc- 
cessful in his selection of officers, and a more agreeable set could hardly 
be found. Sir John is in much better health than when we left England, 
and really looks ten years younger. He takes an active part in every- 
thing that goes on, and his long experience in such services as this makes 
him a most valuable adviser." 

Letters from most of the other officers, written in a similar tone, 
were received in England at the same time with the above. An extract 
of a letter from Franklin himself to Col. Sabine, deserves to be quoted, 
as expressing his own opinion of his resources, and also his intention of 
remaining out more than a second winter, should he not be successful be- 
fore. The letter is dated from Whalefish Islands, July 9, 1S45; and 
after noticing that the Erebus and Terror had on board provisions, fuel, 
clothing, and stores for three years complete, from that date, he adds, " I 
hope my dear wife and daughter will not be anxious if we should not 
return by the time they have fixed upon; and I must beg of you to give 
them the benefit of your advice and experience when that time arrives, 
for you well know that, without success in our object, even after the sec- 
ond xvinter, we should wish to try some other channel should the state 
of our provisions and the health of our crews justify it." 

The above extracts will give a fair idea of the prospects and hopes 
of the parties when heard from the last time before entering Barrow 
Strait. But nearly two years having elapsed without tidings, certain 
experienced navigators, among them Capt. John Ross, expressed a fear 
that the party had become entangled in the northwestern ice, whence 
thev could not advance nor retreat. The Lords Commissioners of the 
Admiralty, though judging that the second winter of Sir John's absence 
was too early a period to give rise to well-founded apprehensions for his 
safety, lost no time in calling for the opinions of several naval officers 
who were well acquainted with Arctic navigation, and in concerting 
plans of relief to be carried out when the proper time should arrive. 

It is impossible to give, in our limited space, even a synopsis of the 
opinions which were the response to this call on the part of the Lords 
of Admiralty. It must suffice to say that after weighing all suggestions 



382 RICHARDSON APPOINTED. 

and fully considering the numerous plans submitted to them, the admi- 
ralty determined that if no intelligence of the missing ships arrived by 
the close of autumn, 1847, they would send out three searching expedi- 
tions: One to Lancaster Sound, another down the MacKenzie River, and 
a third to Behring's Strait. 

The distinguished services of Dr. John Richardson, in the expeditions 
made by Franklin in 1S19-26, especially his adventures from the Mac- 
Kenzie to the Coppermine, will not have been forgotten by the reader, 
and it is necessary only to say of him that he was a brave and skillful 
voyager, an eminent and thorough naturalist, and an enthusiast in the 
project of discovering and perhaps rescuing his friend and former com- 
panion, Sir John Franklin. In him, therefore, the admiralt}^ saw a per- 
son well fitted to take charge of one of the proposed expeditions. Rich- 
ardson was already familiar with the details of overland travel in Brit- 
ish America, and particularly in the region of the MacKenzie and the 
intricate maze of streams and lakes which diversify the face of America 
north of the 55th parallel. He was, therefore, wisely intrusted with the 
expedition destined for the descent of the MacKenzie. This appoint- 
ment was announced in the formal instructions issued to him by the Lord 
Admiral, the opening paragraph of which is appended : 

" Whereas, we think you fit to be employed in an overland expedition 
in search of Her Majesty's ships Erebus and Terror, under the command 
of Capt. Sir John Franklin, which ships are engaged in a voyage of dis- 
covery in the Arctic Seas, you are hereby required and directed to take 
under your orders Mr. Rae, who has been selected to accompany you, 
and to leave England on the 25th inst., by the mail steamer for Halifax, 
in Nova Scotia, and New York; and on your arrival at the latter place, 
you are to proceed immediately to Montreal, for the purpose of confer- 
ring with Sir Geo. Simpson, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company's 
settlements, and making arrangements with him for your future supplies 
and communications." 

The general drift of the instructions was to the effect that from Can- 
ada, Richardson was to cross the country as rapidly as possible to the 
MacKenzie, which he was to descend in any way which had been pro- 



ARRIVE IN AMERICA. * 383 

vided. He was then to coast along the bays and sounds of the Arctic 
shore, taking care not to extend the time of his search beyond the limits 
of prudence. The appointment of Mr. John Rae as second officer was the 
suggestion of Dr. Richardson, who knew him to be peculiarly qualified 
for the service on which he was to be employed. He had resided up- 
ward Of fifteen years in Prince Rupert's Land, was thoroughly versed 
in all the methods of developing and turning to advantage the natural 
products of the country, a skillful hunter, expert in expedients for tem- 
pering the severity of the climate, an accurate observer with the sextant 
and other instruments usually employed to determine the latitude and 
longitude, or the variations and dip of the magnetic needle, and had just 
brought to a successful conclusion, under circumstances of unusual priva- 
tion, an expedition of discovery fitted out by the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany for the purposes of exploration. The choice, then, seemed a wise 
one, and its wisdom was confirmed by subsequent events. 

On the 25th of March, 184S, Richardson and Rae left Liverpool, and 
landed at New York on the morning of the 10th of April. From this 
point they depai'ted as soon as convenient, journeying by way of -Lake 
Champlain, the St. Lawrence, and the chain of great lakes, until the 
Cumberland House, on the Saskatchewan, was reached. They had been 
accompanied up to this point by an escort of French, Indians, and half- 
breeds, procured in Canada, who had served as guides and had trans- 
ported their goods. Their baggage included only their clothing, instru- 
ments and camping utensils, as provisions for the expedition were to be 
furnished, as far as convenient or possible, from the interior by the agents 
of the Hudson's Bay Company. A party of boats under the supervision 
of Mr. Bell had already preceded them, and was to co-operate in the 
establishing of quarters, and the procuring of provisions. This party 
they hoped to overtake, so r as to relieve the monotony of their journey. 
Their journey, however, was not destined to be excessively monotonous, 
for the varied scenery and the dangers of canoe navigation, soon be- 
came sufficiently enlivening. A thorough survey of the country through 
which they passed was made by Dr. Richardson, both as to its botany 
and geology, and so far as their limited means of conveyance would al- 






384 A TROUBLESOME SONGSTER. 

low, specimens of the plants and rocks were secured and placed in their 
little museum. 

Many things, curious and unwonted, were noted by Dr. Richardson, 
who kept a faithful diary of each day's proceedings, and of each new ob- 
ject discovered and examined. Ornithology as well as other branches of 
science, received his attention. 

"Constantly," says his journal, "since the 1st of June, the song of the 
Fringilla leucophrys has been heard day and night, and so loudly, in 
the stillness of the latter season, as to deprive us at first of rest. It 
whistles the first bar of 'Oh, dear! what can the matter be?' in a clear 
tone, as if played on a piccolo fife ; and, though the distinctness of the 
notes rendered them at first very pleasing, yet, as they haunted us up to 
the Arctic circle, and were loudest at midnight, we came to wish occa- 
sionally that the cheerful little songster would time his serenade better. 
It is a curious illustration of the indifference of the native population to 
almost every animal that does not yield food or fur, or otherwise con- 
tribute to their comfort or discomfort, that none of the Iroquois or Chip- 
peways of our company knew the bird by sight, and they all declai'ed 
boldly that no one ever saw it. We were enabled, however, after a little 
trouble, to identify the songster, his song, and breeding-place." 

On the 27th of June the party came to the vicinity of Methy Port- 
age referred to, as the reader will remember, in one of the first of 
Franklin's voyages. An Indian had built a home at the mouth of the 
Methy River, and was in the habit of letting horses to the Hudson's 
Bay Company for facilitating the portage of goods. Our party 
of explorers, however, received from him the very unpleasant informa- 
tion that his horses had all died from murrain, and that the Company's 
animals were also all disabled. This news was received by Richardson 
with great disappointment, for he had planned to reach the sea as soon as 
possible, so as to explore Wollaston Land (across the strait from the 
mouth of the Coppermine) this season. This new circumstance seemed 
to represent a delay of several weeks, and his scheme was likely to be 
thwarted. Coming up with Mr. Bell before the portage was reached, 
he found several of his (Bell's) men enfeebled and lame from previous 



A CACHE. 385 

labor at portages, and unfitted for rendering any assistance. Richard- 
son's own voyagers, too, had been engaged with the understanding that 
they were to return as soon as Bell's boats were overtaken. With a 
promise of extra pay, however, they were induced to stay and assist in 
the conveying of the goods across to the next attainable water — a distance 
of about fourteen miles. 

In the equal distribution of the baggage, each man had five pieces of 
ninety pounds' weight' each, exclusive of his own bedding and clothing, 
and of the boats, with their masts, sails, oars, anchors, etc., which could 
not be transported in fewer than two journeys of the whole party. The 
practical Canadians could carry two pieces of ninety pounds at each trip 
on such long portages, and in shorter ones even a greater load than this. 
The Europeans, however, . could carry only one piece, and thus had to 
make five trips with the baggage besides two with the boats. Thus de- 
layed, little prospect "was left of completing their sea-voyage this season. 

With the usual quota of adventures the boats at last reached Point 
Separation — -marking the parting of the two principal mouths of the 
MacKenzie, on the 31st of July. Here, according to instructions they 
halted to l.ury a case of pemmican. The pit was dug at the distance of 
ten feet from the best-grown tree on the point, and besides the food, there 
was placed in it a bottle containing a memorandum of the objects of the 
expedition, and such other information as it was thought would be use- 
ful to other parties, should they happen to reach this river. This point 
will be remembered as the place of separation of the parties of Franklin 
and Richardson in 1S26, when the former explored toward Behring's 
Strait, .and Richardson examined the coast between the MacKenzie and 
Coppermine. Apropos of performing his duty at this time and place, 
Richardson says : 

"We were then full of joyous anticipation of the discoveries that lay 
in our several paths, and our crews were elated with the hope of making 
their fortunes by the parliamentary reward promised to those who should 
navigate the Arctic Seas up to certain meridians. When we pushed off 
the beach on the morning of the 4th of July, 1826, to follow our separate 
routes, we cheei-ed each other with hearty good will, and no misgivings. 
25 



386 



DOWN THE MACKENZIE. 



Sir John's party fell some miles short of the parliamentary distance, and 
he made no claim. My party accomplished the whole space between the 
assigned meridians, but the authorities decided that the reward was not 
meant for boats, but ships." 

Having finished operations at the cache, the voyage was resumed, 
and the boats passed down the eastern branch of the MacKenzie. 
Watch now began to be kept for Esquimaux, for Richardson's previous 
experience taught him that they were in the habit of frequenting the 
coast at this time of year. About two hundred natives were soon seen 




ESQUIMAUX OF NORTH AMERICA. 

paddling out in their kayacks and oomiaks. The boatmen were cautioned 
to keep close together so as not to allow the Esquimaux to overpower 
uny one if they should seem so disposed. A lively barter was carried 
on with them by Richardson and Rae, who traded all manner of iron 
implements for the rude productions of the natives. These were of no 
use to the whites, but it had been found a plan of policy to make no gift 
to the Esquimaux, as the American tribes regarded it as a mark of inferi- 
ority to receive a gift. 

The inquiries of the party were of course chiefly directed to obtain- 
ing information of the missing vessels, but the Esquimaux, one and all, 
denied ever having seen any whites, or heard of any ships along the 



MENDACIOUS ESQUIMAUX. 387 

coast. None of them would acknowledge being present at the time 
when the attempt was made to plunder Franklin's boats in 1826; perhaps 
the circumstances of that encounter prevented them from confessing the 
connection of themselves or their relatives with that uncompleted tragedy. 
One man in answer to the inquiry for white men, said, pointing to 
Richards' Island — a small islet just at the mouth of the MacKenzie — 
" A party of white men are living there." This was known to be a 
falsehood, as the commander had landed there the day previous without 
having discovered any traces. The savage's motive was evidently to 
induce them to land, which they had been invited to do from the first of 
their interviews with the natives. According to Richardson, neither the 
Esquimaux, nor certain of the Indian tribes of Arctic America feel the 
least shame in being detected in a falsehood, and invariably practice it 
if they think that thereby they can gain any of their petty ends. Even 
in their familiar intercourse with each other the Indians seldom tell the 
truth in the first instance, and if they succeed in exciting admiration or 
astonishment, their invention runs on without end. From the manner of 
the speaker, rather than by his words, is his truth or falsehood arrived at; 
and often a continuous questioning is necessary to elicit the facts. 

No satisfactory information having been gathered from the natives, 
the journe}^ eastward along the coast was continued ; landings being 
made sufficiently often to make complete and thorough both the search 
for the lost fleet, and the scientific examination of the country. 




CHAPTER XLIII. 

Richardson's journey toward the Coppermine — an early 

winter a reasonable theory conjectures return to 

fort confidence plan for the summer rae's expedition 

— confer with esquimaux return to the coppermine 

interpreter drowned lost in the woods approval of 

the admiralty. 

As has already been intimated, Dr. Richardson's account of his jour- 
ney abounds with vivid pictures of the natural features, productions, and 
people, of the regions through which he passed. Rocks, flowers, trees 
and natives were all carefully studied, and their habits, peculiarities and 
anomalies faithfully portrayed. In fact, most Arctic navigators have 
done the same, and it is to their energy, zeal and ability that Arctic sci- 
ence, in its vai'ious branches, owes its present advanced status. As the 
purpose of the present volume, however, is not to treat of natural history, 
nor geology, as such, an incidental mention of the facts relative to these 
sciences must suffice. 

Dr. Richardson had hoped to reach the Coppermine River, and from 
there to cross over and explore Wollaston Land the first summer. He 
was disappointed to find that the new ice began to form early in Septem- 
ber, so as not only to impede his progress by its own resistance, but by 
cementing together in impenetrable solidity the immense floes of pack- 
ice, which had not succeeded in forcing their way through the narrow 
channel between the continent of America and the islands, or lands on 
the north. The unavoidable conclusion of the sea-voyage, while still at 
some distance from the Coppermine River, was contemplated by the 
commander and the entire crew with the deepest regret. It had been 
hoped, that even if no time was left to explore Wollaston Land, the Cop- 
permine, at least, could be reached, and the boats left somewhere along 



A REASONABLE THE OR T. 389 

its banks, where they would be available for another summer's use. But 
if they were now abandoned on the coast, it could not be expected that 
they would escape the searches of the hunting parties who would follow 
up the explorers' footmarks, and who were certain to break up the boats 
for the copper fastenings. The unusual lateness of the spring, and the 
unexpected delay at Methy Portage, had made the arrival at the sea later 
than had been anticipated, and in a region where summer holds sway 
only six weeks, even a few days are often of the utmost importance. 
Notwithstanding the brevity of the summer, neither that, nor the late- 
ness of their arrival, would have prevented the party from crossing to 
Wollaston Land, had it been possible to effect such a crossing. The 
only hindrance was the unnavigable condition of the close-packed ice- 
drift. A flat, smooth floe is often of assistance in protecting a vessel 
from i^ressure, and, in case of extreme necessity, a boat can be dragged 
over its surface with good headway; but the ice that obstructed the 
progress of our explorers at this time, was composed of hummocky pieces 
of irregular shape, and consequently ready to turn over and crush boat 
or person upon the least disturbance. 

Richardson plainly remembered that on both of his former voyages 
to these seas, neither he nor Franklin had found this condition present 
in the channels under consideration. On those occasions only small 
packs were visible here and there, the general openness of the sea afford- 
ing ample opportunity for passage up to a later period than the ist of 
September. In seeking a reason for the existing state of affairs, Rich- 
ardson found himself able to establish a reasonable conjecture regarding 
the prolonged absence of the missing crew. 

The theory of a cycle of good and bad years had already been 
mooted by several meteorologists, and observations on the temperature of 
a series of years had seemed to confirm its reasonableness. Eighty years' 
observation at London showed that groups of warm years alternate with 
groups of cold ones in such a way as to render it most probable that the 
mean annual temperatures rise and fall in such a manner as may be 
represented by a series of elliptical curves, corresponding to periods of 
from twelve to fifteen years; although local or casual circumstances 






390 CONJECTURES. 

cause the means to change in particular years, and, indeed, in particular 
places also. 

The conjecture, then, was that Franklin entered Lancaster Sound at 
the close of a group of favorable years, when the ice was in the greatest 
state of diminution, and that, having boldly pushed on in one of the clos- 
ing years of the favorable cycle, unexpected ice was produced during 
the unfavorable years following, and thus an insurmountable barrier to 
his return was made. 

This conjecture, while it could not, of course, descend to detail in 
this particular case, seems to have been the correct one; for (to anticipate 
our narrative) it was afterward found that Franklin's vessels actually 
were beset by ice in September, 1846, and that too in a much lower lati- 
tude than was at this time reached by Richardson. It will be found, 
also, that the explorers for the next few years, from 1S4S-57, found the 
springs very backward, and the winters exceedingly long and severe. 
The experiences of Kane in northern latitudes for three different winters 
may be hereafter cited as cases in point. We have here to do, however, 
not with theories, but with facts, and the practical problem of how to 
find Franklin and convey relief to him, was the all important question 
which presented itself to the admiralty and those representing them 
upon the seas. 

As we have seen, circumstances compelled the party to desist from 
further undertakings this fall, and preparations were made to journey by 
land back to Ft. Confidence, where Mr. Bell was supposed to be pre- 
paring winter quarters for the voyagers. Burying a quantity of pem- 
mican, and also of ammunition, near the places where the boats were to 
be left, they started on the third of September, carrying everything 
which their strength would permit. After a tedious journey, made more 
so by the heavy burdens which they bore, they arrived at Ft. Confidence 
on the 15th. Here they found Mr. Bell, who had reached the site on 
the 17th of August, and had immediately set to work. Since that time 
he had built an ample storehouse, two houses for the men, and a dwell- 
ing house for the officers, consisting of a hall, three sleeping apartments, 
and a storeroom. Dispatches and letters were now made ready, and on 



PLAN FOR THE SUMMER. 391 

the iSth were taken in charge by men chosen for the purpose, to be 
conveyed to the British settlements. 

Here, then, at Ft. Confidence, the winter of 1S4S-9 was passed; 
nothing of striking importance occurring to break the monotony of a 
characteristic season in the wilds of North America. 

The return of summer brought with it the necessity of deciding upon 
some course of action for the fmther prosecution of the search. It was still 
thought best to visit Wollaston Land, but in the absence of their boats, 
the method of procedure grew into a perplexing problem. Had they 
succeeded in taking their boats up the Coppermine, beyond the reach of 
the Esquimaux, according to their expectations when the plan of search 
was formed, the voyage might have been resumed in the summer of 1S49, 
with two or three boats; and in that case, the whole party might have 
gone, and so have aided one another among the floes. But as they had 
been compelled to leave their craft in September, without the smallest 
hope of its being found again in a seaworthy condition, and having only 
one boat remaining that could be employed on the service, it became nec- 
essary to determine which of the two leading officers, Dr. Richardson or 
Mr. Rae, should take charge of that vessel and the small party it could 
contain. Setting aside personal considerations, and looking onlv to the 
means of providing for the examination of as large a portion of the Arctic 
Sea as could be accomplished, Dr. Richardson had not much hesitation in 
deciding in favor of Mr. Rae. His ability and zeal were unquestiona- 
ble; he was in the prime of life, and his personal activity, and his skill as 
a hunter, fitted him peculiarly for such an enterprise. 

Mr. Rae had already during the winter explored the country be- 
tween Ft. Confidence and the Coppermine River, in order to select the 
best route for dragging the boat over in the spring. In April he con- 
veyed provisions, boat-stores, and other necessaries across the country to 
one of tne streams tributary to the Coppermine, and a convenient place 
for landing, in the event of the ice breaking up. These he left in charge 
of two of his men and two Indian hunters, who were to be engaged in 
the meantime, in obtaining and curing the flesh of the reindeer and 
musk-ox, for summer use. Having to wait many weeks for the opening 



392 INTERVIEW WITH ESQUIMAUX. 

of the rivers, it was the middle of July before the sea was reached, and 
as the ice in the channels was still impenetrable, several weeks more 
were occupied in exploring the various rivers which had their mouths 
near the point where the Coppermine finds an outlet. 

Their advance along the coast, when once it began, was very slow, 
owing to the still comparatively impenetrable condition of the ice; and 
the place where the boats were left the preceding autumn, was not 
reached until the 24th of July. The boats were found much broken up 
by the action of the ice, which had invaded the inlet where they were 
left, and also by the Esquimaux, who had dismantled them of large por- 
tions of woodwork, that they might obtain the iron and copper used in 
their construction. The tents, oil-cloths, and part of the sail's still re- 
mained uninjured, and were made extremely useful to Mr. Rae, who 
was ill supplied with these articles. The cache of pemmican and pow- 
der was also untouched, its covering of snow probably causing it to es- 
cape detection. 

Passing on to the west, they soon came to the point where the search 
had been concluded the previous season, being also the most convenient 
though not the nearest point from which Wollaston Land could be 
reached. Indeed, it was not only unnecessary to go further, but also im- 
possible; for the junction here of the rough hummocks on one side and 
the steep cliffs on the other, made further thought of passage useless. 
They pitched their tents on the top of a cliff and waited for the first 
favorable change in the sea. 

A few days after this the Esquimaux interpreter and one of the men, 
when some distance inland looking for game, overtook five Esquimaux, 
who were traveling toward the interior with a load of fish. From these 
it was found that the sea-ice had begun breaking up only the day before 
the party had arrived at the mouth of the Coppermine. These natives 
also testified that they had been, during the winter, in company with the 
Esquimaux of Wollaston Land, and that the latter had never seen Euro- 
peans, large ships, or boats. 

Their detention here was very long and tedious. Several gales of 
wind occurred from the south, but the space of open water was so small 




WwHmm\ ■;■..*,.■ 



393 



394 RETURN TO THE COPPERMINE. 

that little effect upon the ice was observable. The situation was tanta- 
lizing in the extreme to all the party. Occasionally at the time of the 
tide a lead of water would appear, a mile or so in length, and wide 
enough to admit of the passage of a boat. Everything would be at 
once prepared for launching; when suddenly, some adverse circumstance 
would cause the opening to grow narrow, until no longer safe for boat 
or man to venture in. 

The ice continued drifting to and fro with the tides, without separat- 
ing sufficiently to allow of passing among it, till the 19th of August, 
when there seemed to be more open water to seaward than had yet been 
seen. After waiting for some hours for a troublesome pack near the 
shore, to disperse, they at last pushed off; and after many narrow escapes 
from being squeezed, they at last reached comparatively open water, 
where they had soon to use their oars. They had pulled more than 
seven miles, when they came to a stream of ice, so close packed and so 
rough that the)' could neither pass over nor through it. Under these 
circumstances it was thought advisable to return to the mam shore, 
where they landed the next day. On the very next day wind began to 
blow from the northeast, and in four hours not a perch of open water 
was to be seen — nothing but a continuous sheet of white, solid drift ice. 

As the fine weather had now evidently broken up, no course remained 
but to retreat to the Coppermine and Ft. Confidence. An accident oc- 
curred in ascending the Coppermine which had even more effect in 
dampening the spirits of the party than the failure to reach Wollaston 
Land. They had successfully ascended the river to what was known as 
the "Bloody Falls," marking the beginning of a series of intricate and 
dangerous rapids. It had been the custom, in former ascents of these 
rapids, to draw the boats along the bank, till the most difficult portion was 
passed, and then to launch the boat and tow it up over the remainder of the 
distance. As the boat of our voyagers was exceedingly worn and unsub- 
stantial, it was thought best to do the same in this case. All that appeared 
to be of any difficulty was easily accomplished, and there was only one 
short place to be ascended, which was so smooth that a loaded boat might 
have passed it; here, however, from some unaccountable cause, the 



THE INTERPRETER DROWNED. 395 

steersman was seized with a sudden panic, and called to those towing 
the boat to slack the line. This was no sooner done sufficiently to allow 
him to get firm footing, than he leaped on shore, followed by the bow- 
man, and allowed the boat to sheer into the current, when the line broke, 
and the boat was hurried down stream into an eddy. To this point Rae 
and Albert, the interpreter, ran, and stationed themselves at two points of 
rock near which the wreck would pass. Misunderstanding an order of 
the commander, the Esquimaux leaped into the boat when it was near 
enough, and both were swept away together. The native was finally 
thrown out and sank, not to appear again. The occurrence was much 
regretted, as the young man was greatly liked for his activity, lively and 
amiable disposition, and extreme goodness. 

Rae's failure to cross to Wollaston Land, is attributable, not at all to 
lack of skill or bravery — but to the impassable condition of the ice in 
the strait which it was necessary for him to traverse. His mortifica- 
tion from his failure was very keen, and much more severe than he saw 
fit to display in his official report. He was, in reality, a very brave and 
intelligent man, and received, as he deserved, the approbation of the 
British Government. 

Having now finished the story of Mr. "Rae's search voyage, we 
revert to the experiences of Dr. Richardson, and the remainder of the 
party, during the summer of 1849. On the 7th of May they took their 
leave of Rae, who had not vet left Ft. Confidence to descend the Cop- 
permine, and proceeded to Ft. Franklin, on the opposite side of Great 
Bear Lake. As they anticipated some difficulty in navigating Bear Lake 
River, which flows out of Great Bear Lake into the MacKenzie, a few 
miles below Ft. Norman, a barge had been ordered which was to meet 
them at the head of the river. They waited over a month for the barge 
when some men appeared who reported that the river was not yet open. 
They now decided to descend the river at once, and send the barge, 
back for the stores. Most of the expedition started in a fishing-boat; 
but two of them were instructed to follow along the bank of the river 
on foot, each carrying with him his own bedding and provision. One 
of the men, named Brodie, struck into the interior to avail himself of a 



396 APPROVAL OF THE ADMIRALTY. 

short cut, and not soon rejoining the party, was supposed to be lost, and 
considerable apprehension was felt for his safety. It was afterward 
found that, when he detected the fact of his walking in tbe wrong di- 
rection, he began to run, as is usual in such cases, till he came to the 
bank of a tortuous stream, and being a fearless swimmer, swam across it, 
carrying his clothes on his head. The river coming again in his way, 
he crossed it a second time in like manner, but on the last occasion his 
bundle slipped away from him, and floated off, while he regained the 
bank in a state of perfect nudity. After a few moments' reflection he 
came to the conclusion that without clothes he must perish, and that he 
might as well be drowned in trying to recover them, as to attempt pro- 
ceeding naked. On this he plunged in again, and this time succeeded in 
landing safely with his habiliments. He soon discovered his whereabouts, 
and rejoined the party. 

This adventure is related to illustrate what a traveler in these wilds 
was liable to encounter, and as an example of -what happened to all ot 
the seamen of this expedition. None of them could be taught that they 
were liable to such accidents, till they learned it by experience. One 
man who thus strayed was, when found, contentedly steering for the 
moon, "which being near the horizon, and streaming red through the for- 
est, was mistaken by him for .the fire of the men's bivouac. 

The ascent of the MacKenzie, and the subsequent journey to Can- 
ada, and finally back to Great Britain, was not attended with any inci- 
dent worthy of note, and the party of Richardson landed at Liverpool 
on the 6th of November, after an absence of nineteen months, twelve of 
them passed in incessant traveling. Richardson made no delay in pre- 
senting himself to the admiralty, and making a full report of his pro- 
ceedings, which elicited from their lordships a uniform expression of 
approbation. His narrative was afterward published in book form, 
which volume, with its rich fund of incident and adventure, and thor- 
ough analysis of all observed phenomena, stands among the classics of 
Arctic literature. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

EXPEDITION UNDER SIR JAMES C. ROSS INSTRUCTIONS OF THE AD- 
MIRALTY PREPARATIONS UPERNAVIK IN A PACK MAXWELL 

BAY A NOVEL EXPEDIENT SPRING OCCUPATIONS THREE SUR- 
VEYING PARTIES AN ARCTIC HOUSE WELLINGTON CHANNEL 

NIPS IMPRISONED A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE A FORCED RE- 
TREAT COMMENTS ON ARCTIC NAVIGATION. 

Prominent among those who engaged in the discussion concerning 
the probable whereabouts of Franklin, and in the eventual efforts made 
to relieve that distinguished navigator, was Sir James C. Ross, of whom 
special mention has already been made. The three expeditions planned 
in 1847, and executed in 1S4S, have been referred to in a preceding 
chapter. They were based mainly upon the instructions under which 
Franklin sailed, upon known conditions existing in the northern seas, 
and upon the conjectured course of Franklin, in case of failure or 
emergency. 

The expedition which was regarded at the time as of most impor- 
tance, was the one destined to Lancaster Sound. It had for its object to 
take up the route followed by Franklin, and by diligently searching 
for any signal-posts he might have erected, to trace him out and carry 
the required relief to his exhausted crews. For such an enterprise as this, 
none were thought to be better fitted by ability and experience than the 
daring commander whose name heads the chapter. In company with 
his distinguished uncle, he had already traversed many portions of the 
globe, and had acquainted himself extensively and in a practical manner 
with all branches of the nautical science. Pertinent to this particular 
undertaking, he had planted the British flag upon the magnetic pole, and 
had learned by experience the peculiarities of Arctic sailing, and the 

manoeuvers, necessary among the ice-barriers of the north. Considering 

397 



398 SNS TR UC TIONS. 

these qualifications, as well as the practical wisdom exhibited in Ross' 
discussion of the then all-absorbing question, the admiralty had no hesi- 
tation in placing him at the head of this important expedition. 

The facts upon which his plan was based will sufficiently appear from 
the following quotations, drawn from his letter of advice to the admi- 
ralty: "As vessels destined to follow the track of the expedition must 
necessarily encounter the same difficulties, and be liable to the same se- 
vere pressure from the great body of ice they must pass through in their 
way to Lancaster Sound, it is desirable that two ships of not less than 
500 tons be purchased for this service, and fortified and equipped in every 
respect as were the Erebus and Terror for Antarctic seas. 

"Each ship should, in addition, be supplied with a small vessel or 
launch of about twenty tons, which she could hoist in, to be fitted with a 
steam engine and boiler of ten-horse power, for a purpose to be hereafter 
noticed. 

" The ships should sail at the close of April, 1S48, and proceed to 
Lancaster Sound with as little delay as possible, carefully searching both 
shores of that extensive inlet, and of Barrow's Strait, and then progress 
to the westward. 

"As soon as the formation of water along the coast between the land 
and the main body of the ice admitted, the small steam launch should 
be dispatched into Lancaster Sound, to communicate with the whale 
ships at the usual time of their arrival in those regions, by which means 
information of the safety or return of Sir John Franklin might be con- 
veyed to the ships before their liberation from their winter quarters, as 
well as any further instructions the Lords Commissioners might be 
pleased to send for their future guidance. 

" The easternmost ship having been safely secured in winter quarters, 
the other ship should proceed alone to the westward, and endeavor to 
reach Winter Harbor, in Melville Island, or some convenient port in 
Bank's Land, in which to pass the winter. 

" From this point, also, parties should be dispatched early in spring, 
before the breaking up of the ice. The first should trace the western 
coast of Bank's Land, and, proceeding to Cape Bathurst, or some other 



PREPARATIONS. 399 

conspicuous point on the continent, previously agreed on with Sir John 
Richardson, reach the Hudson's Bay Company's settlement of Ft. Good 
Hope, on the MacKenzie, whence they may travel southward by the 
usual route of the traders to York Factory, and thence to England, as 
soon as convenient. 

" The second party should explore the eastern shore of Bank's Land, 
and making for Cape Krusenstern, communicate with Sir John Rich- 
ardson's party on its descending the Coppermine River, and either assist 
him in completing the examination of Wollaston and Victoria Land, or 
return to England by any route he should direct. 

" These two parties would pass over that space in which most proba- 
bly the ships have become involved, if at all, and would, therefore, have 
the best chance of communicating to Sir John Franklin information of 
the measures that have been adopted for his relief, and of directing him 
to the best point to proceed, if he should consider it necessarv to abandon 
his ships. 

" Other parties may be dispatched, as might appear desirable to the 
commander of the expedition, according to circumstances; but the steam 
launches should certainly be employed to keep up the communication 
between the ships, to transmit such information for the guidance of each 
other as might be necessary for the safety and success of the under- 
taking." 

This plan has been given thus fully, partly because it foreshadows 
and explains the voyage about to be described, and partly because it 
shows with what completeness of detail and grasp of the subject these 
enterprising statesmen were wont to project their schemes. Owing to 
varying circumstances all the details of this scheme could not be fully 
carried out; for, as we have seen already, Richardson did not begin the 
exploration of Wollaston Land, nor did he have opportunity to com- 
municate with Ross' vessels at all, and it was not until after his return to 
England that he became fully apprised of the proceedings of that officer, 
and of the state of the search. 

The work of fitting up vessels for the use of the expedition began 
early in the season of 1848; but as very elaborate preparations were 



400 IN A PACK. 

made, the arrangements were not completed until June. The vessels 
chosen were the Enterprise, of 450 tons, and the Investigator, of 480 
tons burthen, and the combined crews and officers numbered 135 souls. 
Ross raised his pennant in the Enterprise ; and with him were Lieuts. 
M'Clure, M'Clintock and Browne, of the former two of whom more 
will be heard hereafter. The Investigator was commanded by Capt. 
E.J. Bird. 

The expedition raised sail on the 12th of June, and reached the Dan- 
ish settlement of Upernavik, situated on one of the group of Woman's 
Islands, on the western shore of Baffiirs Bay, on the 6th of July. Pass- 
ing through this maze of islands and ice they were made fast on the 
20th to an iceberg aground of Cape Shackleton. During the next few 
days vessels were towed by their launches through streams of loose ice, 
and on the 26th of July had reached the three islands of Baffin, in lati- 
tude 74 N. The season had now become so far advanced, and progress 
was so materially impeded by calms and light winds, that hope of accom- 
plishing much before winter should set in, was precluded. 

No pains were spared, however, to use every opportunity of pushing 
forward; and finally, on the 20th of August, a heavy breeze arose which 
drove the ships through a thick pack of ice, in the midst of which, had 
they been compelled to stop, both ships would have been inevitably 
crushed. As it was, some damage was received by them, though for- 
tunately neither was disabled. Having now crossed Baffin's Bay., the 
ships stood in to Pond's Inlet; but though they kept close to shore, and 
made repeated signals, no vestige of Esquimaux or other human beings 
could be seen. On the 26th they arrived off Possession Bay, and a party 
was sent on shore to search for any traces of the expedition having 
touched at this general point of rendezvous. Nothing was found here 
except the paper recording the visit of Sir Edward Parry, on that very 
day (the 30th) in 1S19. They examined the coast westward from this 
point with great care, and on the 1st of September arrived off Cape 
York (on Lancaster Sound), leaving here abundant landmarks for the 
benefit of any who might follow them. 

" We now, " says Ross, "stood over toward Northeast Cape, until we 




26 



401 



402 A NOVEL EXPEDIENT. 

came in with the edge of a pack too dense for us to penetrate, lying be- 
tween us and Leopold Island, about fourteen miles broad ; we therefore 
coasted die north shore of Barrow's Strait, to seek a harbor further to 
the westward, and to examine the numerous inlets of that shore. Max- 
well Bay and several smaller indentations, were thoroughly explored, 
and, although we got near the entrance of Wellington Channel, the firm 
barrier of ice which stretched across and had not broken away this sea- 
son, convinced us that all was impracticable in that direction. We now 
stood to the southwest to seek for a harbor near Cape Rennell, but found 
a heavy body of ice extending from the west of Cornwallis Land in a 
compact mass, to Leopold Island. Coasting along the pack during 
stormy and foggy weather, we had difficulty in keeping the ships free 
during the night, for I believe so great a quantity of ice was never before 
seen in Barrow's Strait at this period of the season." 

Fortune at last smiled upon them, and the pack was passed in safety. 
The ships were secured in Leopold Harbor on the nth of September — 
a most desirable situation, being at the junction of the four great chan- 
nels of Barrow's Strait, Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, and 
Wellington Channel. In case Franklin, having abandoned his ships, 
should attempt a retreat through any one of the above-mentioned chan- 
nels, it was plain that he must be apprised of the presence of these ships 
in the vicinity. 

On the very day following this fortunate occurrence, the main pack 
closed in with the land, and completely sealed the mouth of the harbor. 
As the beginning of the long Arctic night was near at hand, haste was 
now made to complete the preparations for the winter. This was accom- 
plished on the 1 2th of October, about the time when the sun sank out of 
sight for his long period of alienation. The winter was usefully spent in 
exploring on foot all the inlets and unknown points in reach, both with 
reference to discovering traces of Franklin, and also in order to promote 
the accuracy of the British charts. A novel expedient was adopted for 
the purpose of extending to the lost navigators knowledge of the prox- 
imity of assistance. Ross caught large numbers of white foxes, and, 
after inscribing copper collars with information concerning the where- 



PRINCE REGENTS INLET. 403 

abouts of the ships and the depot of provisions, and clinching them about 
the necks of the animals, released them. It was known that a party, in 
case of dearth of food, would naturally seek much after these animals, and 
it was hoped that the four-footed messengers might be of service in trans- 
mitting the desired intelligence. The same idea was used by Parry 
years before. He had left medals with the Esquimaux on the shores 
which he visited, so that in case a rescue party was necessary, they might 
the more readily come upon the desired data. 

The months of April and May were occupied by Capt. Ross, Lieut. 
M'Clintock and a party of twelve men, in examining and thoroughly 
exploring all the inlets and smaller indentations of the northern and 
western coasts of Boothia Peninsula, in which any ships might have 
found shelter. From the high land in the neighborhood of Cape Bunny, 
Capt. Ross obtained a very extensive view, and observed that the whole 
space between it and Cape Walker to the west, and Wellington Chan- 
nel to the north, was occupied by very heavy, hummocky ice. 

"The examination of the coast," says Sir James, "was pursued until 
the 5th of June, when, having consumed more than half our provisions, 
and the strength of the party being much reduced, I was reluctantly 
compelled to abandon further operations, as it was, moreover, necessary 
to give the men the day of rest. But that the time might not be wholly 
lost, I proceeded with two hands to the extreme south point in sight 
from our encampment, distant about eight or nine miles." 

This extreme point is situated in latitude 72 ° 38' N., and longitude 
95 40' W., and is on the west face of a small elevated peninsula. The 
state of the atmosphere being, at the time of Ross' observation, peculiarly 
favorable for distinctness of vision, land of any great elevation might 
have been seen at the distance of 100 miles. Bearing neai - ly due south 
from here, about fifty miles away, Ross discovered the highest cape on 
the coast. Prince Regent's Inlet was found to be separated from the 
western seas by a narrow neck of land. Upon examination the ice in 
this quarter proved to be eight feet thick. A conspicuous cairn of stones 
was erected in the vicinity, and on the 6th of June they began their re- 
turn to the ships. Here they arrived after a journey of seventeen days, 



404 RELICS OF FORMER VOTAGES. 

so completely worn out by fatigue that for several weeks every man was, 
for some cause or other, in the doctor's hands. Upon their arrival 
they found that during their absence Mr. Matthias, the assistant surgeon 
of the Enterprise, had died of consumption, and that the health of many 
more was declining. 

While Ross was absent Commander Bird had dispatched several sur- 
veying parties in different directions. Lieut. Barnard took charge of the 
first, which proceeded along the north coast of Barrow Strait, cross- 
ing the ice to Cape Hurd; Lieut. Browne led a second to the extreme 
shore of Prince Regent's Inlet; and a third party of six men, conducted 
by Lieut. Robinson along the western shore of the inlet, extended their 
examination of the coast as far as Creswell Bay, several miles to the 
southward of Fury Beach. The house in which Sir John Ross had 
wintered in 1S32-3, was found still standing, together with a quantity of 
stores and provisions of one of the ships lost in 1827. On opening some 
of the packages, their contents of flour, peas, and meat were found in a 
state of excellent preservation, and the portable soup as wholesome as 
when first manufactured. The labors of all these parties were curtailed 
and hindered by the sufferings of the individuals from snow-blindness, 
sprained ankles, and debility. 

By these excursions taken in connection with the expedition incident- 
ally referred to of Mr. Rae in 1847, tne wn °l e of Prince Regent's Inlet 
and the Gulf of Boothia was examined, with the exception of 160 miles 
between Fury Beach and Lord Mayor's Bay, and as there were no indi- 
cations of the ships having touched on any part of the coast so narrowly 
traced, it seemed to Commander Ross certain that they had not attempted 
to find a passage in that direction. 

On this account he decided that it was best to press on to the west 
as soon as his ships should become liberated. The chief hope now cen- 
tered in the efforts of Sir John Richardson; for he concluded that Sir 
John Franklin's ships must have penetrated so far beyond Melville 
Island as to induce him to prefer to make for the continent of America, 
rather than to seek for aid from the whalers in Baffin's Bay. The crews, 
weakened by excessive exertion, were now in a very unfit state to 



BESET. 403 

accomplish the heavy labor which they were obliged to undertake, 
but all hands who were strong enough to use an ax or a saw, were set to 
work to cut a channel toward the point of the harbor, a distance of some- 
what more than two miles. By dint of extra exertion the passage was 
completed, and the ships cleared on the 28th of August. Before taking 
final leave of the harbor, however, a house was built and covered with 
such of the ship's housing material as could be dispensed with. In the 
house were left provisions, fuel, etc., for the twelvemonth's supply of a 
large party, and in a convenient place was moored the steam launch 
belonging to the Investigator. This being seven feet longer than the 
other, made a fine vessel, capable, if necessary, of conveying Sir John 
Franklin's whole party to safe quarters with the whalers in Baffin's Bay. 

It was now decided to proceed to the north side of Barrow's Strait, 
for the purpose of examining Wellington Channel, and of penetrat- 
ing, if possible, as far west as Melville Island; but when about twelve 
miles from the shore the ships came upon the land ice, and it was 
impossible to proceed further. As they were struggling through the ice- 
packs and endeavoring to proceed westward, a heavy gale brought upon 
them the loose ice through which they had been making their way, and 
this close beset them for several days. The vessels sustained severe nips 
for some time, and were also endangered by the piling up around them 
of great hummocks, which threatened at times to cover and overwhelm 
them. The temperature at last fell to zero, and the pack froze around 
them into a solid mass. The experiences of the next weeks are thus 
described by Ross: 

" We were so circumstanced that for some days we could not unship 
the rudder, and when by the laborious operation of sawing and removing 
the hummocks from under the stern, we were able to do so, we found it 
twisted and damaged; and the ship was so much strained as to in- 
crease the leakage from three inches in a fortnight, to fourteen daily. 
The ice was stationary for a few days; the pressure had so folded the 
lighter pieces over each other and they were so interlaced as to form 
one entire sheet, extending from shore to shore of Barrow's Strait, and 
as far to the east and west as the eye could discern from the mast-head, 






40G DELIVERANCE. 

while the extreme sevei'ity of the temperature had cemented the whole 
so firmly together that it appeared highly improbable that it could break 
up again this summer. In the space which had been cleared away for 
unshipping the rudder, the newly formed ice was fifteen inches thick, 
and in some places along the ship's side, the thirteen-feet screws were 
too short to work. We had now fully made up our minds that the ships 
were fixed for the winter, and dismal as the prospect appeared, it was far 
preferable to being carried along the west coast of Baffin's Bay, where 
grounded bergs are in such numbers upon the shallow banks of that 
shore as to render it next to impossible for ships involved in a pack to 
escape destruction. It was therefore, with a mixture of hope and anxiety 
that, on the wind shifting to the westward, we perceived the whole body 
of ice begin to drive to the eastward, at the rate of eight to ten miles 
per day. Every effort on our part was totally unavailing, for no human 
power could have moved either of the ships a single inch; they were 
thus completely taken out of our hands, and in the center of a field of 
ice more than fifty miles in circumference, were carried along the south- 
ern shore of Lancaster Sound. 

" After passing its entrance, the ice drifted in a more southerly direc- 
tion along the western shores of Baffin's Bay, until we were almost 
abreast of Pond's Bay, to the southward of which, we observed 
a great number of icebergs stretching across our path, and pre- 
senting the fearful prospect of our worst anticipations. But when least 
expected by us, our release was almost miraculously brought about. 
The great field of ice was rent into innumerable fragments, as if by 
some unseen power." 

Every resource was immediately brought into active use, and by 
packing, warping, and sailing, the ice was cleared, and the ships reached 
an open space of water on the 25th of September. 

" It is impossible," says Sir James, " to convey any idea of the sen- 
sations we experienced when we found ourselves once more at liberty, 
while many a grateful heart poured forth its praises and thanksgiving to 
Almighty God for this unlooked-for deliverance. 

" The advance of winter had now closed all the harbors against us, 



COMMENTS ON ARCTIC NAVIGATION. 



407 



and as it was impossible to penetrate to the westward through the pack 
from which we had just been liberated, I made the signal to the 
Investigator, of my intentions to return to England." After a favorable 
and uneventful voyage, the ships arrived in England early in November, 
on the fifth of which month, Ross reported to the admiralty the result 
of his voyage. 

The accident which prevented this party from examining the waters 
and coast toward Melville Island, is a good illustration of the versatility 
of the elements in Arctic regions, and the extreme uncertainty of the 
future, even for a short time, with which a polar navigator must, of 
necessity, enter those unknown waters. In ordinary seas, a few hours of 
adverse wind simply drive a ship from her course a few miles, or hinder 
for an hour, or a day, her direct progress; a return of favorable breezes 
sufficing in a short time, to counterbalance the temporary misfortunes. 
But in the latitude of almost perpetual ice, no one can predict what hour 
the pack may close about the hapless craft, and crush her sides or' im- 
prison her for dreary months in a desolate, frozen mass. When the 
peculiarities of Arctic navigation are considered, the marvel should be, 
not that so little, but that so much, has been brought to light of the 
mystery surrounding the " Storied Pole." 




CHAPTER XLV. 

EXPEDITION VIA BEHRING'S STRAIT THE HERALD AND PLOVER 

PULLEN'S BOAT JOURNEY LANCASTER SOUND GREAT PREPA- 
RATIONS — DISCOVERIES THE PRINCE ALBERT RETURNS TO 

ENGLAND SLEDGE JOURNEYS — THE PRINCE ALBERT A CRITI- 
CAL SITUATION WINTER ON BOARD THE PRINCE ALBERT. 

The search expedition via Behring's Strait, was suggested and or- 
ganized upon the ground, that if Franklin succeeded in pushing his way 
through the western ice, and thus proved the existence of a Northwest 
Passage, he would likely be found at or near the coast of Russian Amer- 
ica, frozen up in the waters of that region, or cruising about to add to the 
geographical knowledge of those comparative!}' unknown parts. 

This expedition was composed of the Herald, under Capt. Kellet, 
and the Plover in charge of Commander Moore. The vessels were ex- 
pected to arrive in Behring's Strait about the 1st of July, 1848, and were 
directed to proceed along the American coast as far as possible, consistent 
with the certainty of preventing the ships being beset by the ice. A har- 
bor was to be sought for the Plover within the strait, to which that ves- 
sel was to be conducted, and two whale-boats were to go on to the east- 
ward in search of the missing voyagers, and to communicate, if possible, 
with the MacKenzie River party. The Plover was fitted out in the 
Thames in December, 1847; but having been found unsea worthy, was 
compelled, when she went to sea, to put into Plymouth for repairs, and 
did not finally leave England until February, 1848. This tardy depart- 
ure, conjoined with her dull sailing, prevented her from passing Beh- 
ring's Strait at all in 184S, but she wintered on the Asiatic coast just out- 
side of the strait. 

The Herald visited Kotzebue Sound, repassed the straits before the 

arrival of the Plover, and returned to winter in South America, with the 

intention of going northward again next season. 

408 



GREAT PREPARATIONS. 409 

The summer of 1S49 was spent by the two vessels in a series of faith- 
ful explorations, whose results added greatly to our knowledge of the 
Russian seas, without, however, disclosing any traces of Franklin or his 
men. Especially remarkable in connection with this voyage was a boat 
journey to the eastward by Lieut. Pullen. Some details of this adven- 
turous voyage are given by Lieut. Harper, in his private correspondence. 
In four open boats they had set out for MacKenzie's River, which they 
reached after a perilous voyage of thirty-two days. Ascending this river 
they came to Fort Simpson, where they met Mr. Rae, and received an 
account of his own proceedings and those of Dr. Richardson. 

On the 30th of June of the following summer, the whole party of 
Pullen, with the servants of the Hudson Bay Company and their stock 
of four, started for the sea to embark for England. On the 25th, how- 
ever, they were met by a canoe containing dispatches from admiralty, or- 
dering the search for Franklin to be resumed along the Arctic coast. 
Stopped by the ice, and shattering one of his boats in the perilous at- 
tempt to cross the northern channels, Pullen was also unsuccessful in this 
undertaking, and subsequently returned to England. 

In the meantime, preparations for the search by way of Lancaster 
Sound were made on a large scale. The Resolute was commissioned 
by Capt. Horatio L. Austin, and the Assistance, Capt. Ommaney, was 
put under his orders, together with the Pioneer and Intrepid, steam tugs, 
commanded by Lieuts. Osborn and Cator. Capt. William Penny, an 
experienced whale-fisher, was also engaged for the search, and placed in 
command of the Lady Franklin and the Sophia. In addition to these ex- 
peditions fitted out by the admiralty, others furnished from private sources 
showed the interest that was widely and deeply felt in the cause. Capt. 
Sir John Ross, in spite of his advanced years, sailed in the Felix schooner, 
and, as we shall see, the United States came forward in the first of the 
Grinnell expeditions, a full account of which will be given in its place; 
Lady Franklin likewise, with that untiring energy and conjugal devo- 
tion which marked her conduct throughout, dispatched the Prince Albert 
under the orders of Commander Forsyth, of the Royal Navy. As 
many of these were largely subordinate in their objects, and unattended 



410 DISCO VERIES. 

by important results, the reader -will not he burdened with a detailed ac- 
count of their adventures. They were all sent out in (1850) and engaged 
in searching the same tract, the coasts on both sides of Lancaster Sound. 

Overcoming all difficulties from the Baffin's Bay ice by the powerful 
aid of the steamers, Capt. Austin's squadron reached the entrance to the 
sound in July — Capt. Penny's vessel following in their wake. There 
they separated, and while the Pioneer and the Resolute remained to 
examine the neighborhood of Pond's Bay, Capt. Ommaney proceeded to 
Beechey Island and enjoyed the distinction of discovering the first traces 
of Franklin's expedition yet brought to light. Capt. Austin, his attend- 
ant steamer, Penny, and the American squadron, soon joined the Assist- 
ance at Cape Riley, and minute investigation only proved the 
importance of the discoveries, and demonstrated this to have been the 
scene of Franklin's winter quarters. The site of the encampment was 
plainly marked by the various signs of the former occupants. No record 
was found, however, and concerning the whereabouts or fate of the 
missing voyagers, the crews were no wiser than before. Papers were 
left at Cape Riley by each ship in its turn, and the Assistance landed 
provisions at Whaler's Point for the succor of Franklin's ci"ew, should 
they ever reach that place. 

These discoveries were made in August, and, as winter was rapidly 
approaching, little more could be done this season. Penny pushed up 
Wellington Channel as far as Cornwallis' Island, but turned back before 
an impassable barrier of ice, beyond which he was chagrined to dis- 
cover open water as far as - the eye could reach. The Lady Franklin 
and Sophia sought winter quarters in Assistance Harbor, at the south 
extremity of Cornwallis' Land, and they were speedily joined by Sir 
John Ross' Felix, while the Resolute and Assistance, of Austin, soon 
became fastened in the pack which filled up the channel between Grif- 
fith's Island and Cornwallis' Land. The Prince Albert sailed for Eng- 
land before winter set in; and her example was followed by the Advance 
and the Rescue of the Americans, though, as subsequent chapters will 
explain, fate had reserved for these two a more perilous passage than a 
simple journey to New York. 



AUSTIN RETURNS TO ENGLAND. 411 

As the winter advanced, the hollows between the hummocks in the 
ice about the vessels became filled up with snow, and sledging parties 
were organized. In all, fifteen sledges were sent out with 105 men, so 
that only seventy-five remained to take charge of the ships. It is impos- 
sible to give any detailed account of these well-planned and brave 
attempts, the prosecution of which involved more hardship than had been 
endured throughout the whole of the winter preceding. Fatigue from 
drawing heavily loaded sledges over ice often rough and precipitous, suf- 
fering from exposure to the intense cold, from which no amount of cloth- 
ing could protect the traveler, and more than all, the terrible snow blind- 
ness of an Arctic winter; all these told heavily upon them, and to these 
was added the heavier weight of disappointment. Each party returned 
with the same sorrowful response, " No signs!" 

Several parties from the Lady Franklin were sent up Wellington 
Channel; one of them Penny commanded himself, and finding the chan- 
nel too open to admit of sledge traveling, he returned to his vessel, pro- 
vided himself with a boat, commenced his journey anew, and after a 
series of adventures and difficulties, which he overcame with courage 
worthy of a hero, he penetrated up Queen's Channel as far as Baring's 
Island and Cape Beecher, where, most reluctantly, he was compelled to 
turn back. A fine open sea stretched away to the north as far as the eye 
could reach, but his boats were weak and small, his men were few, and 
he was obliged to withstand the temptation to embark on the bosom of 
this inviting water. Penny really thought that Franklin had followed 
this route, and that his ships, if ever found, must be looked for on the 
untracked waters of the Polar Ocean. Capt. Austin, however, could not 
be persuaded of the truth of this theory, and as nothing could be done 
without his co-operation, Penny was compelled to follow the course 
pointed out by the admiralty squadron, which, after two ineffectual at- 
tempts to enter Smith's and Jones' Sounds, returned to England. 

Lady Franklin's vessel, the Prince Albert, did not stay to share with 
her companions the inclemencies of an Arctic Christmas, but leaving 
them in preparation for winter, she brought home the welcome intelli- 
gence of the discoveries at Beechey Island, which inspired all interested 



412 A CRITICAL SITUATION. 

in the cause with a lively hope, and served not a little to expedite prepa- 
rations for a coming season. No time was lost in refitting the brave lit- 
tle craft, which was placed in charge of Mr. Kennedy. His second in 
command was Lieut. Bellot, that noble volunteer in the cause of human- 
ity, whose generous self-devotion procured for him a fraternal regard 
from all Englishmen. The object of the present voyage was to exam- 
ine into Regent's Inlet and the coast of North Somerset, an important 
district for which no provision seemed to have been made in the admi- 
ralty plan of search; for nothing could then be known in England of the 
sledge parties by means of which Capt. Austin was at that vei'y time 
in part supplying the deficiency. 

The easterly gales had formed a barrier of ice across Barrow's Strait, 
cutting off all access to Cape Riley or Griffith's Island, so that the Albert 
was fain to turn at once into Regent's Inlet, and take temporary refuge 
from the -wind in Port Bowen. As it was very undesirable, however, to 
winter on the coast opposite to that along which lay their line of search, 
Kennedy, with four men, crossed to Port Leopold amid masses of ice, to 
reconnoiter the western line of coast, as well as to ascertain whether any 
documents had been left at this point by previous searching parties. 

After an hour spent in examining the locality and seeking for papers, 
they prepared to return, but to their dismay found their passage cut off 
by the ice, which, opening only in dangerous crevices, proved a hopeless 
obstacle when they attempted to reach the vessel on foot. It is difficult 
to conceive of a more deplorable situation. Darkness was fast coming 
on, the floe on which they stood "was passing rapidly down the channel, 
and the ear was deafened by the crashing of huge ice-blocks, which 
dashed furiously against each other, and threatened momentarily to break 
in fragments the portion they occupied. The only alternative was to re- 
turn to shore as best they could, and thus, separated from their ship, 
clothing, and provisions, they passed the night; their only shelter being 
their boat, under which each man in turn took an hour's rest. To these 
disagreeable experiences was added in the morning the mortification of 
finding that their ship had disappeared! Their course was now fixed; 
they must endure the winter as well as they could. Fortunately, the 



WINTER ON BOARD THE PRINCE ALBERT. 



413 



depot of provisions left by Sir James Ross at Whaler's Point, was easily 
accessible, and finding everything in a good state of preservation, they 
immediately proceeded to make themselves as comfortable as possible. 
They fitted up the steam-launch, which, it will be remembered, was left 
by Sir James for the possible transportation of Sir John Franklin, and 
made a comfortable temporary dwelling. 

Thus resigned to the exigencies of their situation, they were joyfully 
surprised on the 17th of October, by the appearance of Mr. Bellot with 
a party of seven men, who had dragged the jolly boat with them all the 
way from the ship. It seemed that this gallant officer had made two 




PERILS OF SLEDGE-TRAVEL. 



previous attempts to reach the unfortunate party, who now forgot their 
troubles in accompanying their friends back to the vessel. 

The long winter passed on board the Prince Albert in the ordinary 
routine ; its monotony being somewhat relieved by the barrel-organ pre- 
sented by the liberal Prince from whom their vessel took its name. A 
few excursions took place from time to time, to form provision depots for 
a contemplated journey of exploration, or to calculate how soon they 
might start. On the 25th of February the grand expedition departed. 
It consisted, exclusive of the reserve party, which accompanied it some 
distance — of Kennedy, Bellot, and six men, together with four sledges, 



414 



A NEW SQUADRON. 



drawn partly by dogs, and partly by the men. It is truly surprising to 
find what these men accomplished with this slender equipment. They 
traced the course of North Somerset to its southern extremity, crossed 
Victoria Strait, explored thoroughly Prince of Wales' Land, and fol- 
lowed the coast of North Somerset back again to their starting point, 
having, in an absence of ninety-seven days, performed a journey of 
eleven hundred miles, without illness or accident. 

After the breaking up of the ice, the Prince Albert repaired to Cape 
Riley, where the North Star, under our friend Capt. Pullen, was sta- 
tioned as depot-ship to a squadron which had, in the meantime, been sent 
out under Sir Edward Belcher. Kennedy and Bellot were at first anx- 
ious to remain out another season, and projected the plan of sending the 
vessel back, while they remained with the present expedition. Circum- 
stances, however, induced them to change their plan, and they reached 
Aberdeen, with their full number of men, on the yth of October, 1S52. 




|JI« 

M 



CHAPTER XLVI. 

SEARCH UNDER M'CLURE AND COLLINSON THE ENTERPRISE AND 

INVESTIGATOR SENT OUT AGAIN AROUND CAPE HORN SAND- 
WICH ISLANDS IN KOTZEBUE SOUND ALONE IN THE ARCTIC 

A CAIRN ERECTED A LIGHT-FINGERED NATIVE AGROUND 

A COOL RECEPTION A NOVEL CHRONOLOGY FALSE HOPES 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE PREDICTED. 

Ross' discovery squadron was scarcely welcomed home from its 
perilous operations of 1S4S-9, when it was at once decided by the Eng-, 
lish Government to refit the vessels, for the purpose of resuming- the 
search for Franklin by way of Behring's Strait — the scene of the search 
on the part of the Plover and the Herald. It will be remembered that 
the Enterprise and Investigator had failed in their attempt to get west 
of Leopold Island, in the summer of 1S49, and only escaped from a 
winter's imprisonment in that inhospitable spot, to be swept with the ice 
in Barrow's Strait out into Baffin's Bay, so that they had just time to 
retreat to England before the general closing of all Arctic seas. 

Shaken and worn as the two ships were, a little judicious work in the 
dockyard soon put them into a proper condition once more to combat 
the ice of Arctic manufacture. Capt. Richard Collinson was appointed 
as senior officer and leader of the expedition, to the Enterprise, and 
Commander Robert Le Mesurier M'Clure to the Investigator. The 
former enjoyed a high naval reputation, and in China his abilities as a 
surveyor had done the State good service. The latter, the destined dis- 
coverer of the Northwest Passage, having passed a useful apprentice- 
ship in the British service for twenty years, received an appointment to 
the Investigator, as a reward for valuable service as lieutenant under 

Ross in 1S48-9. 

415 



416 AROUND THE HORN. 

In 1S49— 50 there was no lack of volunteers for Arctic service. 
The voyages of the preceding seasons had attracted the attention of 
all; and an interest in the cause, coupled with a desire for adventure, 
greatly hastened the completion of the preparations. On the 10th of 
January the two ships set out; but being, as Arctic-bound ships must be, 
heavily laden with provisions and fixtures, it became necessary to stop 
at Plymouth and do some slight repairing — a measure which gave them 
an opportunity of securing several more good seamen. 

No delay was allowed here, however, for the great distance between 
England and Behring's Strait had to be traversed by way of Cape Horn. 
This involved a journey of six months before the sea could be reached; 
and it was fully realized that the delay of a month might cause the gate 
to the highway they sought to be closed against them. The services of 
a German clergyman, who had been a Moravian missionary, were duly 
engaged as interpreter, and he was dispatched on board the Investi- 
gator at Ptymouth. 

A few hours afterward the Arctic squadron weighed anchor and sailed 
forth with a fair and fresh wind. As the greater interest attaches to the 
Investigator, on account of her connection with the discovery of the 
Northwest Passage, it will be our aim particularly to follow her fortunes 
over the northern seas. 

It was not until the 18th of March, 1850, nearly two months after 
leaving England, that the Investigator crossed the Southern Tropic in 
the Atlantic Ocean, although the greatest possible speed had been made, 
and the two vessels, having parted company from the first, had not been, 
as is usual, the means of detaining each other. After being towed 
through the Strait into the Pacific, she landed on the 17th of April, at 
Port Famine, on the coast of Chili. 

Here Capt. M'Clure learned that the Enterprise had already passed, 
and what was still more to be regretted, had taken with her all the beef 
cattle, so that the Investigator's prospect of fresh meat "was no nearer 
than the Sandwich Islands, to reach which the wide Pacific had to be 
traversed, as the Atlantic had already been. At Fortescue Bay, how- 
ever, the Investigator found the Enterprise lying at anchor, and an 



ALONE IN THE ARCTIC. 417 

opportunity was afforded for comparing notes upon their respective jour- 
neys. On the 19th of April the weather permitted of their again starting 
out. Once in the broad Pacific the two vessels separated, never again to 
rejoin. 

Crossing the Equator on the 15th of June, the vessel of our nar- 
rative was aided by the S. E. trades into 7 N. latitude. On the 1st of 
July they anchored gladly enough outside the harbor of Honolulu, the 
wind not being favorable for entering it. They found that Capt. Col- 
linson had already called at this port and proceeded on his way. After 
purchasing as speedily as possible all necessary supplies of fruit and vege- 
tables, they departed, fulty equipped for their Arctic voyage, on the 4th of 
July, 1S50. The ice, however, was still 40 distant, the Enterprise un- 
doubtedly far ahead, and the season would be closing in, in about sixty days. 
Capt. M'Clure might well be anxious to devise the best means of reaching 
Behring's Straits. It was rumored at Honolulu that the Enterprise, in 
case of arriving at Kotzebue Sound, on the coast of Russian America, in 
advance of the Investigator, proposed to take with her the Plover, 
anchored since 1S48 in that harbor, and leave the ship of M'Clure in her 
place on the American coast. 

To prevent an occurrence which would prove so damaging to the 
ardor of his men, M'Clure made every breeze do him service, and arrived 
in Kotzebue Sound on the 29th of July. As no traces of the Enterprise 
had been seen by the Plover's men, it was inferred that she had either 
passed in a fog, or had not yet come up. Capt. M'Clure's impulse was 
to push on and either join the Enterprise or, failing in that, at least spend 
the remainder of the season in profitable exploration. Capt. Kellett of the 
Plover, although M'Clure's senior, did not feel that he had the authority 
to detain him, especially in the uncertainty of the whereabouts of the 
Enterprise. The Investigator, then, at once set sail, and in forty-eight 
hours was out of sight and alone on the rough surface of the stormy 
strait. Running northward as far as it was safe on account of the ice, 
M'Clure retraced his course southward and eastward, until he reached 
Wainwright Inlet, and again sighted the Plover for a time. 

Keeping now very close to the American coast, or as near as the 
27 



418 A LIGHT FINGERED NATIVE. 

ice would permit, the vessel made rapid progress toward Point Barrow. 
At midnight they rounded the northwest extreme of the American con- 
tinent, and began their progress toward the eastward. On the morning 
of the 6th of August, 1850, the officers and crew felt free from all anxiety 
on the score of being able to enter the Arctic Ocean from Behring's Strait. 
Their first aspiration was to reach Melville Island, but as a waste of 
ice stretched before them in that direction as far as the eye could reach, 
it was decided to reach if possible, the "landwater," on the comparatively 
safe sea between the main land and the main body of ice; and once in 
that water to struggle eastward for that open sea off the MacKenzie 
River, spoken of by Sir John Richardson. 

On August 8, when about one hundred and twenty miles east of Point 
Barrow, a man was sent ashore to leave a notice of the passage of the 
Investigator., and to erect a cairn. Here some native Esquimaux were 
found, of whom inquiry was made concerning the character of the water 
to the eastward. Communication being generally established with the 
tribe, it was admitted by some of the men that they had seen a ship in 
Kotzebue Sound (no doubt the Plover). They gave promise of an 
open channel from three to five miles in width, all along the shore until 
winter; but they could give no idea of what time that season began. 
M'Clure told them that he was looking for a lost brother, and made 
them promise that if they ever met the wandering party they should be 
kind to them, and give them "deer's-flesh." 

The chief characteristics of this tribe seemed to be obesity, dirtiness, 
and dishonesty "Thieving, performed in a most artless, and skillful 
manner, appeared their principal accomplishment. As Capt. M'Clure 
was giving out some tobacco as a present, he felt a hand in his trousers' 
pocket, and on looking down found a native, receiving a gift with one 
hand, and actually picking his pocket with the other. Yet, when de- 
tected, the fellow laughed so good-humoredly and all his compatriots 
seemed to enjoy the joke so amazingly, that even the aggrieved parties 
joined in the general merriment." 

Working on to the eastward the Investigator had reached, on Aug. 
14, longitude 148 17' west, and became much hampered among the 



A COOL RECEPTION. 419 

low islands, which, for a ship in foggy weather, were exceedingly dan- 
gerous. They had now passed the point at which Franklin had arrived 
in his journey westward from the MacKenzie, and might be said to be 
approaching the delta of that great river. 

After several narrow escapes on the 14th of August the good ship 
found herself quite beset with the shoals surrounding the individual 
islands of this little archipelago; and at last, in attempting to escape 
through a narrow strait of three fathoms depth, she unfortunately took 
the ground. All sail was at first put on, in the hope of dragging her 
through it; but the effort proved fruitless. Even the laying out of all the 
anchors failed to float the vessel. All the load possible was now put 
into boats, several tons of water were let out of the tanks on board, and 
at last, after being aground five hours, the Investigator was once more 
got afloat. 

On the night of Aug. 7 new ice was found for the first time upon the 
surface of the sea, a certain indication of the speedy approach of winter, 
and some doubted whether the MacKenzie could be reached. The gen- 
eral embarrassment was augmented by a mistake of the officers in charge. 
In the foggy weather prevalent at this season along the coast, a blind 
lead through the ice was followed for ninety miles, being mistaken for 
the channel between the main ice and the shore. Retracing their steps, 
they fortunately found a passage out of the ice, and were soon off the 
MacKenzie fifty miles distant from the mainland. 

On the 24th of August the Investigator approached Port Warren, 
and a party landed, hoping that the natives at this point traded with the 
Hudson's Bay Company, presuming that in this way another dispatch 
could be sent to England. Their surprise, therefore, may be imagined 
at finding themselves received with brandished weapons of all sorts, and a 
general expression of defiance. A friendly footing at last being estab- 
lished, a brass button of European manufacture was seen suspended from 
the ear of the chief. In reply to inquiries he candidly confessed that it 
belonged to a white man, one of a party who had arrived at Port War- 
ren from the westward. They had no boat, nor other means of convey- 
ance, but had built a house, and finally departed inland. The owner of 



420 NATIVE CUPIDITT. 

the brass button had wandered from the rest of his party, and been 
killed by a native, who now, seeing the great ship, had fled. The white 
man had been buried by the chief and his son. With regard to time, 
however, the chief's account was singularly vague, and he could by no 
means be induced to fix the date with any more accuracy than " It might 
be last year and it might be when he was a child." 

This tale of course gave rise to many conjectures; many were of the 
opinion that the wandering whites could be no other than members of 
Franklin's party; and all agreed as to the propriety of making thorough 
investigation before leaving the vicinity. A thick fog which warned 
them to return to the ship, did not allow them to visit the white man's 
grave, but on following the direction indicated by the chief, a hut was 
discovered. They were disappointed to find that the hut was old, and 
that the occupants had vacated it years before, while the decayed wood 
of which it was made bore not the slightest trace by which to glean infor- 
mation of the former tenants. There was at least nothing upon which 
to base the slightest connection with Franklin's fate, and therefore noth- 
ing to cause further delay in their onward voyage. 

Another tribe of Esquimaux was encountered about the close of 
August off Cape Bathurst, who, being friendly, undertook to convey the 
dispatches to the Hudson's Bay Company, which it had been found im- 
possible to transmit from Port Warren. It was of course necessary to 
make some trifling presents in return, and M'Clure gives an interesting 
account of the manner in which the women, excited by what they had 
already received, and tempted by the display of articles before them, at 
last became unmanageable and rushed upon the stores, seizing what they 
could reach, and carrying it off apparently without compunction. 

The ist of September found the Investigator still laboring to the 
eastward. From the ist to the 5th the vessel was occupied in 
rounding the Bay formed by Capes Bathurst and Parry. On the 
4th large fires were seen on shore, and at first were supposed to 
have been built by the natives to attract attention. It was not 
likely, however, that natives would indulge in so lavish an expenditure 
of fuel, and the appearance was at last attributed to the presence on shore 



NORTHWEST PASSAGE PRODUCED. 421 

of Franklin and his comrades. Figures in white were seen moving 
about, and various suggestive objects were descried by the anxious 
searchers. Bitterly were our voyagers disappointed to find upon examina- 
tion only a few small volcanic mounds of a sulphuric nature, while the 
tracks of reindeer, coming for water to a neighboring spring, clearly 
explained the mystery of the moving figures. 

A fresh breeze and clearer weather with more open water enabled 
the Investigator to set away from the Continent more than she had done ; 
and on the 7th of September Capt. M'Clure landed on a newly-dis- 
covered piece of land, to take possession of it in the Queen's name. This 
was named Baring's Land from the Lord of the Admiralty, in ignorance 
of its being connected with Banks Land already discovered. 

Prince Albert Land was at last reached, and exhibited, in its interior, 
ranges of mountains covered with snow. Gulls and other birds were seen 
flying southward - — a certain indication that winter was soon to set in. 
A hope began to possess the mariners that they were to accomplish what 
others had heretofore failed in achieving — namely, the discovery of the 
Northwest Passage. The dangers of the expedition, cold, hunger, hard- 
ship, — all were forgotten. "Only give us time," they said, "and we 
must make the Northwest Passage." Noon of September 9th placed 
them only sixty miles from Barrow's Strait. 

" I cannot," says M'Clure's journal, "describe my anxious feelings. 
Can it be possible that this water communicates with Barrow's Strait, 
and shall prove to be the long-sought Northwest Passage? Can it be that 
so humble a creature as I will be permitted to perform what has baffled 
the talented and wise for hundreds of years? But all praise be ascribed to 
Him who has conducted us so far on our way in safety. His ways are 
not our ways, nor are the means that He uses to accomplish His ends 
within our comprehension. The wisdom of the world is foolishness 
with Him." 



CHAPTER XLVII. 

signs of winter beset prepared for danger wintering in 

the arctic polar hunting-grounds summer again 

prince Albert's cape — the enterprise — anxiety in eng. 

land relief expeditions a second winter in the 

arctic the search the discovery pim's reception 

a happy crew abandonment of the investigator. 

September n, 1S50, brought with it undoubted signs of winter. The 
thermometer fell to 11 below the freezing point; and a northwest gale 
rolled the ice down into the channel, and rendered it almost unnavigable. 
No harbor was in sight, and the long dark nights rendered progress 
peculiarly dangerous and difficult. On. the 12th of September M'Clure's 
journal is to the following effect : 

"The temperature of the water has now fallen to 2S Fahrenheit 
(freezing point of sea-water.) The breeze has freshened to a gale, bring- 
ing with it snow, and sending down large masses of ice upon us. The 
pressure is considerable, listing the vessel several degrees. Fortunately 
a large floe, which was f ast approaching the vessel, has had its progress 
arrested by one extreme of it taking the ground, and the other locking 
with a grounded floe upon our weather beam. It is thus completely 
checked, and forms a safe barrier against all further pressure. As the 
rudder was likely to become damaged, it was unhung and suspended 
over the stern. We can now do nothing, being regularly beset, but 
await any favorable change of the ice, to which we anxiously look for- 
ward, knowing that the navigable season for this year has almost 
reached its utmost limit, and that a few hours of clear water will in all 
pi'obability solve the problem of the practicability of the Northwest 
Passage." 

422 



PREPARED FOR DANGER. 423 

The 13th and 14th brought no change for the better, but on the 15th 
the wind veered to the southward, and the vessel began to drift up the 
channel. On the 16th a point was reached only thirty miles from the 
beginning of the water, which, under the name of Barrow, Melville, and 
Lancaster, connects with the waters of the Atlantic through the ice- 
studded waters of Baffin's Bay. For some reason, the ice in which they 
had been drifting would go no farther, and thus at this tantalizing dis- 
tance from Barrow's Strait they were compelled to stop, and for a time 
relinquish their hope of reaching the Northwest Passage. 

It was necessary now to decide whether they would retrace their 
steps to the south and find a suitable place for wintering, or remain in the 
pack and brave the dangers long since declared fatal by alleged compe- 
tent authorities. " I decided," says M'Clure, "upon the latter course, en- 
couraged by the consideration that to relincpiish the ground obtained 
through so much difficulty, for the remote chance of finding safe winter 
quarters, would be injudicious, thoroughly impressed as I was with the 
absolute importance of retaining every mile, to insure any favorable re- 
sult while navigating these seas." 

The ice now closed about the Investigator, and her peril for a time was 
imminent. As the massive floes came crowding against her, causing her to 
surge back and forth in her narrow bed, the noise was so deafening that the 
orders of the officers, although delivered through trumpets, could scarcely 
be understood. Anticipating the worst that could happen, Capt. 
M'Clure ordered a large quantity of provisions and fuel to be placed on 
deck, the officers and men to be carefully told off to their boats, and 
every one to be in readiness for a final catastrophe. Every precaution 
was taken to save life, even if the ship could not be preserved. At 
length, however, the old floes became so strongly cemented by the young 
ice, that the element around the vessel assumed a state of quiescence, 
and the danger which had been threatening was for a time averted. 

The housing was now stretched over the ship, and the customary 
preparations for winter were made. Care was taken to leave the sunny 
side of the vessel uncovered, in order that the light might be enjoyed 
as long as possible, for Capt. M'Clure was well aware of the scorbutic 



424 



WINTERING IN THE ARCTIC. 



difficulties with which he must contend, and sought to antidote them as 
far as possible in advance. Altogether, the crew was made much more 
than ordinarily comfortable, and the usually cheerless prospect of a win- 
ter in the, ice was brightened to a wonderful degree by hopeful spirits 
and willing hands. 

The winter was well spent in exploring the coast adjacent to the ves- 
sel's position, and in battling the tendency to scurvy, by killing what- 
ever could be found. On the iSth of April, 1 851, three exploring 
sledge parties were sent out under Lieut. Haswell, Lieut. Cresswell, 




ARCTIC HARES. 

and Mr. Wynniatt, respectively to the southeast, northwest, and north- 
east, with six weeks' provisions each. By these observations the sur- 
rounding coast lines were accurately traced, but no sign of the missing 
vessels could be discovered. The party first mentioned discovered a 
tribe of Esquimaux who subsequently visited Capt. M'Clure; they 
proved remarkably intelligent, and readily traced on paper the coast 
line of Wollaston and Victoria Land, thereby determining the long- 
disputed point, whether or not these districts really belong to the Con- 
tinent of North America. Above eight hundred miles were traversed 
by these three parties, who diligently erected cairns and deposited in- 



POLAR HUNTING GROUNDS. 42o 

structions wherever they would be likely to arrest the attention of wan- 
derers; and all returned to headquarters convinced, from the total ab- 
sence of trace or sign, that Franklin could not have penetrated these 
regions. 

Between the 5th and 22d of May those on board the Investigator 
hailed with delight the signs of coming summer. The vessel was 
calked and painted, and hatchways opened to dry up long accumulated 
damp between decks; the stores were examined and culled with great 
care, and the health of officers and crew was thoroughly looked into. 
Not a trace of scurvy was discovered, " a record unparalleled in the 
history of Arctic voyages." This wonderful exemption from disease 
was largely due to the prevalence of game, and the skill exhibited by 
the crew in the securing of it. One valley visited by them was liter- 
ally alive with ptarmigans and hares, and the keen appetites of the 
seamen eventually made them keen sportsmen. 

In the latter part of May a large bear passing the ship was shot by 
M'Clure, and its stomach was found to contain an astounding medley. 

" There were raisins that had not long been swallowed; a few small 
pieces of tobacco-leaf; bits of fat pork cut into cubes, which the ship's 
cook declared must have been used in making mock-turtle soup, an 
article often found on board a ship in a preserved form ; and lastlv, frag- 
ments of sticking plaster which, from the forms in which they had been 
cut, must evidently have passed through the hand of a surgeon." 
Capt. M'Clure, being ignorant of the ships which had been sent 
out from England, could think of only two ways in which this 
phenomenon was possible, namely, that the bear had come over 
some floe of ice visited by the Investigator last autumn, or that 
the Enterprise must be wintering somewhere in the vicinity. But 
we know, or might, if we had followed the Enterprise on her 
course from South America to Russian America, that she had returned 
to the south, and was at this time in China. The first theory was ren- 
dered improbable by the fact that no vestige left by the Investigator in 
her churning of the previous autumn, could have avoided destruction in 
the endless grinding f the moving- ice. A meat-can containing- all the 



4? 6 THE ENTERPRISE: 

articles mentioned above, was afterward found, convincing all of a fact 
which could render them no service, — that some other party had win- 
tered in their immediate neighborhood. 

The ice which had so long held the vessel a prisoner, began to yield 
about the middle of July, and M'Clure shaped his course for the north- 
east, intending, if possible, to sound the northern coast of Melville Island. 
At the outset of her voyage the Investigator had a narrow escape; the 
floe to which she was temporarily attached gave way, and the detached 
portion being whirled round and crushed together by the pressure of 
surrounding ice, bore down with tremendous velocity and force upon 
the sturdy vessel. The chains and lines were at once let go, and the 
ship thus freed from the floe — a fortunate event; for the vessel no longer 
held stationary, was driven onward by the blow, and so escaped from 
the influence of the floe. 

Escaped from this danger, the Investigator followed her course with 
comparative ease until the 20th of August, when they were driven be- 
tween the ice and the beach, a little north of Prince Albert's Cape. 
Here they lay till the 1st of September, in comparative safety. At this 
time, however, they were threatened with imminent peril from an im- 
mense floe to which they were attached, being raised by surrounding 
pressure, and elevated perpendicularly thirty feet. A few moments of 
suspense and anxious watching showed all on board how small an ad- 
ditional force would turn the glassy rocking-stone completely over, and 
crush the helpless vessel in that awful fall. Gradually the floe slipped 
down and righted itself, and the ship so long and severely tried, again 
sailed level on her course. After a series of such experiences as we 
have just narated, the Investigator was compelled once more by the ad- 
vance of winter to seek winter quarters. A harbor on the north of 
Baring Island was chosen, and the winter of 1S53-3 was begun. 

Having now brought to a close the narration of the Investigator's 
experience up to 1S53, let us turn to the course of the Enterprise, which 
started with the Investigator under such promising circumstances. Hav- 
ing, as before intimated, wintered in China in 1S50-1, she had the next 
season again approached the north coast of America, and on the 24th of 



ANXTETY IN ENGLAND. 427 

July was following' in the track of the Investigator, around Point Bar- 
row. Struggling along as far as she could, she wintered in the 
ice in 1S51-2, ac the southern end of Prince of Wales Strait. It was 
not until September, 1S52, that the Enterprise seems to have made any 
progress eastward from her wintering-place — a direction which Capt. 
Collinson naturally decided upon attempting, with a view to penetrate 
the distance between him and Cape Walker. He reached on the 26th 
of September, Wollaston Land, where he passed the winter of 1852— 3, 
of which we are now writing. In these winter quarters they were 
visited by Esquimaux, one tribe of whom numbered over 200. In their 
possession was found a piece of iron, which man)' still believe to have 
come from the missing ships. This seems very probable from what we 
know of the place of Franklin's death; but Capt. Collinson, being igno- 
rant of that fact, could have no idea of how close his ship was to the 
place where Dr. Rae's informants afterward stated that they had seen 
the remains of Franklin's men. Leaving now the Enterprise, presuming 
that she experienced a very severe winter, we turn once more to the In- 
vestigator, whose adventurous crew and officers were spending their 
second winter in the ice. 

Their story from this point may be told in few words. All the 
English vessels which had sailed in the same year with the two ships of 
our narrative, had returned home, and great anxiety was beginning to be 
felt for the long-absent fleet. The commander of the Investigator had 
premised the necessity of eventually abandoning his ship; but as a pre- 
liminary step, selected a party of men who were to make the best of 
their way out of the ice and get to England if possible. A fortunate 
combination of circumstances, however, was about to make this danger- 
ous journey unnecessary. 

In accordance with the "Arctic Committee's Report," an expedition 
for the relief of the Enterprise and Investigator was sent out from Eng- 
land in the spring of 1S52. It consisted of the Assistance and the Resolute, 
under Sir Edward Belcher and Capt. Kellett; two steam-tugs, Intrepid 
and Pioneer; and a provision-ship, the North Star, under Commander 
Pullen. The northern waters were reached by way of Baffin's Bay, 




428 



RELIEF EXPEDITION. 429 

about the ist of September, 1S53, and the search immediately begun. 
Melville Island was reached by Capt. Kellett of the Resolute, and Com- 
mander M'CHntock of the Intrepid, on the 5th of September, and the 
vessels made fast to ice which still lingered in Winter Harbor, the well- 
known wintering-place of Sir Edward Parry in the year 1S19. 

Having become securely frozen in for the time, parties were sent 
out during the fall and winter for discovering traces of either of the 
ships sought. On one of these occasions, Lieut. Meacham of the Reso- 
lute, happened to inspect more closely than usual the famous mass of 
sandstone on which Parry had caused his ship's name to be engraved. 
He could scarcely credit his senses when he discovered a document 
upon its summit, detailing the practical accomplishment of the North- 
west Passage, and the position of H. M. S. Investigator in Banks Land. 

Impressed with the belief that the Investigator had got out of the 
Bay of Mercy and passed to the northwest of Melville Island, M'Clin- 
tock and Meacham chose routes which would intercept her supposed 
track; consequently, Lieut. Pirn of the Resolute, was, with Dr. Dom- 
ville of the same ship, chosen to make a journey with sledges from 
Melville Island to Banks Land; and on March 10, 1853, they started, 
amid the prayers and cheers of their shipmates. 

In the meantime, April, 1853, greeted the inmates of the Investiga- 
tor. All preparations had been made for the departure of the party be- 
fore referred to. On the 5th of April a fine deer was hung up ready to 
be divided for a hearty meal, of which all hands were to partake before 
their separation. The events of this day are given in the language of 
M'Clure's journal: " While walking near the ship * * * * * * 
we perceived a figure walking rapidly toward us from the rough ice at 
the entrance of the bay. From his face and gestures we both naturally 
supposed at first that he was some one of our party pursued by a bear, 
but as we approached him, doubts arose as to who it could be. He was 
certainly unlike any of our men; but recollecting that it was possible 
some one might be trying a new traveling dress, preparatory to the 
departure of our sledges, and certain that no one else was near, we con- 
tinued to advance; when within about two hundred yards of us, this 



430 PllirS RECEPTION. 

strange figure threw up his arms, and made gesticulations resembling 
those of Esquimaux, besides shouting at the top of his voice, words 
which, from the wind and the intense excitement of the moment, sounded 
like a wild screech; and this brought us to a stand-still. The stranger 
came quietly on, and we saw that his face was black as ebony, and really 
at the moment we might be pardoned for wondering whether he was a 
denizen of this world or the other, and had he but given us a glimpse of 
a tail or a cloven hoof, we should have assuredly taken to our legs; as it 
was, we gallantly stood our ground, and had the skies fallen upon us, we 
could hardly have been more astonished than when the dark-faced 
stranger called out: 

"'I'm Lieut. Pirn, late of the Herald, and now in the Resolute. 
Capt. Kellett is in her at Dealy Island.' 

"To rush at, and seize him by the hand, was the first impulse, for the 
heart was too full for utterance. The announcement of relief at hand, 
when none was supposed to be even within the Arctic circle, was too sud- 
den, unexpected, and joyous, for our minds to comprehend it at once. 
The news flew with lightning rapidity, the ship was all in commotion; 
the sick forgetting their maladies, leapt from their hammocks; the artifi- 
cers dropped their tools, and the lower deck was cleared of men, for 
they all rushed to the hatchway to be assured that a stranger was ac- 
tually amongst them, and that his tale was true. Despondency fled from 
the ship, and Lieut. Pirn received a welcome — pure, hearty, and grate- 
ful — that he will assuredly remember and cherish to the end of his days." 

M'Clure at once decided to visit Capt. Kellett to make arrangements 
with him for conveying to England all the sick on board his vessel. It 
was still his purpose to remain by the Investigator another season if 
necessary, rather than abandon her while any possibility of her release 
remained. We can easily conceive of the nature of his meeting with 
Capt. Kellett. They had last parted on that eventful day in 1S50 when 
Kellett had felt tempted to restrain M'Clure until his consort came up — 
a course which, if it had been adopted, would probably have prevented the 
happy achievement of the Northwest Passage. 

Capt. Kellett, however, did not feel it to be in accordance with his 



THE INVESTIGATOR ABANDONED. 



431 



duty to allow M'Clure to once more peril the lives of his crew by rashly 
remaining in the ice during the winter of 1S53-4. A consulta- 
tion between Dr. Domville and Dr. Armstrong resulted in condemning 
the measure as impracticable, considering the health of the Investigator's 
crew; and M'Clure himself, found to his surprise and mortification that 
only four of his whole number felt able and willing to go through 
another winter. Much, therefore, as he regretted the step, he felt justified 
in leaving the Investigator and proceeding with his disabled crew to the 
hospitable Resolute and Intrepid, where he arrived June 17. Their 
troubles, however, were yet by no means at an end ; for the gallant 
squadron which had volunteered their rescue, in turn found itself beset 
and unable to leave its doubtful harbor until another summer — that of 

i854- 

The events which led to their final release, and the circumstances of 
the questionable desertion by Sir Edward Belcher of several ships in 
good order, will be fully presented in the succeeding chapter. 




HEAD OF REINDEER. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 

BELCHER'S INNOVATION HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPT. KELLETT 

RETl/RN TO ENGLAND— A COURT-MARTIAL A BRITISH WRITER'S 

FANCY OSBORN AND CATOR TRACES REPORT OF RAE's 

DISCOVERIES A THRILLING STORY. 

The abandonment of a number of ships in good condition, well- 
provisioned, and with good promise of release within a reasonable period, 
certainly constituted, at the time, a novel conclusion to a series of Arctic 
ventures; and one which subsequent repetition has never justified ; so that, 
in pursuing this course, Sir Edward Belcher may at least have had the 
satisfaction of complete originality. It is not the purpose of this chapter 
however, to pronounce final judgment upon the wisdom of choices, nor 
to attempt to criticise motives, but simply to give the facts as they 
occurred; from which the reader will be free to form his own conclusions. 

While M'Clintock and Kellett had been pushing their investigations 
in the direction of Melville Island and Banks Land, the remainder of 
Belcher's squadron had continued at or near Beechey Island, and had 
made it the center of operations. Although some good service was 
rendered in the way of surveying and exploration, Sir Edward's course 
appears to have been timid and unsailorlike throughout. His ships 
Pioneer and Assistance, having become temporarily beset fifty miles north 
of Beechey Island, surprising arrangements for the abandonment of the 
whole fleet were at once made by Belcher. 

Totally ignorant of such an arrangement on the part of the senior 

officer, the commanders of the Resolute and Intrepid, which we left frozen 

up in the winter of 1853-4, nao ^ so carefully and judiciously husbanded 

their resources that they were prepared for the possible contingency 

of beihg compelled to remain still another year in the ice near Barrow's 

Strait. This fact was all the more to their credit because they had added 

432 



BELCHER'S INSTRUCTIONS. 433 

to their list of consumers the exhausted crew of the Investigator. Capt. 
Kellett was therefore surprised to receive from Sir Edward, in the spring 
of 1S54, a confidential letter containing the following remarkable 
passage : 

" Should Capt. Collinson, of the Enterprise, fortunately reach you, 
you will pursue the same course, and not under any consideration risk 
the detention of another season. These are the views of the govern- 
ment; and having so far explained myself, I will not hamper you with 
further instructions than, meet me at Beechey Island, with the crews of 
all vessels, before the 26th of August." 

Determined not to take such a course hastily, Capt. Kellett sent Capt. 
M'Clintock to inform Sir Edward Belcher of the perfect possibility of 
saving his ships; to advise him of the stores of provisions which had 
been saved up; to assure him of the health of the men; and to express 
his disapproval of so unnecessary and unwise a movement. These rep- 
resentations, however, were unavailing. Sir Edward sent back by 
M'Clintock an order for abandoning the Resolute and Assistance, and the 
Investigator's brave crew, " who had lived through such trials and hard- 
ships for four winters, stared ^to see all hands gradually retreating upon 
Beechey Island, ready to return to England as speedily as possible." 

Thus, leaving Capt. Collinson to steer the Enterprise safely out as 
best he might, and abandoning the good ships Investigator, Refblute, 
Assistance, Intrepid and Pioneer, Belcher ordered the combined crews 
of those five vessels to seek quarters on board the North Star provision- 
ship, and embarked for England in charge of many chagrined and dis- 
satisfied Englishmen. All, including the Enterprise, reached England 
in September, 1854, being welcomed home by a sympathizing but dis- 
appointed people. 

The matter of the abandonment of the Investigator was of course 
formally examined, and Capt. M'Clure was tried by a court-martial; a 
proceeding which resulted in his most honorable acquittal. Not knowing 
what might in the meantime have been accomplished by Sir John Frank- 
lin, the admiralty, agreeing that M'Clure had virtually achieved a 

Northwest Passage, were unanimous in bestowing upon himself and 
28 



434 AN ENGLISH WRITER'S FANC2~. 

crew £ 1 0,000, or half of the standing reward. In addition to this dis- 
tinction, M'Clure was knighted by the Queen, and several of his officers 
received merited promotion. 

Sir Edward Belcher was also tried by a court-martial, but, although 
he was barely acquitted, the venerable chairman of the judicial body be- 
fore whom he was brought, handed him his sword in " significant 
silence." Concerning the justice of the acquittal, it seems difficult to 
determine, but his course in this particular case seems to be in contrast 
with the usually generous, courageous spirit of the British sailor. A 
writer contemporaneous with the events just narrated, thus feelingly de- 
scribes the condition of the abandoned vessels: 

"Meantime, it is sad to think of those poor, doomed vessels, which we 
have invested with so much personality in our nautical fashion, deserted 
thus in that lone white wilderness! We can fancy in the long coming 
winter, how -weird and strange they will appear in the clear moonlight 
— the only dark object in the dazzling plain around. How solemn and 
oppressive the silence and solitude all around them ! No more broken 
by the voices, and full-toned shouts, and ringing laughter, which so often 
wake the echoes far and near; varied only by the unearthly sounds that 
sweep over these dreary regions when a fissure opens in the great ice- 
fields, or the wild, mournful wailing of the wind among the slender 
shroudk - and tall, tapering masts, that stand so sharply defined in their 
blackness upon the snowy background. And so, perchance, long years 
will pass, till the snow and ice may have crept round and over them, and 
they bear less resemblance to noble English sailors than to shapeless 
masses of crystal; or more likely some coming winter storm may rend 
the bars of their prison, and drive them out in its fury to toss upon the 
waves, until the angry ice gathers around its prey, and, crushing them 
like nut-shells in its mighty grasp, sends a sullen booming roar over the 
water — the knell of these intruders on the ancient Arctic solitudes!" 

VOYAGE OF LIEUT. OSBORN. 

In following the fortunes of the various expeditions sent out in the 
year 1850, we must not omit to speak of the adventures of the Pioneer 




435 



436 OSBORN AND CATOR. 

and Intrepid, under Lieuts. Osborn and Cator, both of whom proved 
themselves brave and efficient navigators. As will be seen by their in- 
structions, the object of their voyage was essentially the same as that of 
the other expeditions which were prepared and sent out almost at the 
same time. They received orders from the admiralty to examine Bar- 
row's Strait, southwesterly to Cape Walker, westerly toward Melville 
Island, and northwesterly up Wellington Channel. 

Starting from England early in May, the coast of Greenland was 
sighted on the 36th, and the Whalefish Island, their first stopping place, 
soon arrived at. May and June were both spent in cruising up the west 
coast of Greenland, and endeavoring to effect a safe passage to the 
opposite shore of Baffin's Bay. During the first days of July, Osborn 
had his first experience of the real perils of the Arctic world. The 
hands were all at dinner when the startling announcement was made 
that a large body of ice was bearing down upon the ship, and threaten- 
ing to crush her in its surging mass. The best security in emergencies 
of this kind, is the preparation of docks in the body of the ice, cut in the 
portion which is firm and solid. The ships are then thrust into these 
artificial " leads," as it were, and thus are protected by the very element 
to whose tender mercies they were but a short time before exposed. In 
this case the combined crews were instantly on the ice, their triangles 
were rigged, and their long ice-saws were at work. The relief was 
much needed, for the floe was coming with terrible force, and the col- 
lisions between pack and berg were frequent and prodigious. 

After struggling through almost impenetrable ice for several weeks, 
they reached Lancaster Sound on the 2 2d of August, and began the 
search. They soon reached Beechey Island, on which the three graves 
of Franklin's men were to be found, together with other evidences of his 
having wintered there during 1845-6, the first winter of his absence. 

When about to leave Beechey Island Osborn found it difficult under 
his directions to determine what course to pursue. Franklin had evidently 
chosen one of three routes on leaving Beechey Island. He must either 
have proceeded southwest by Cape Walker, west by Melville Island, or 
northwest through Wellington Channel. In the meantime, vague reports 



STRICKEN FROM THE NA VT LIST. 437 

became current that Penny or his men had discovered sledge-tracks on 
the west coast of Beechey Island. He therefore determined to explore 
this island in person, before adopting any other course. First finding the 
sledge-marks he divided his party, and each followed the sledge-marks in 
an opposite direction. Among other things he discovered the site of a 
circular hut or "shack," which had apparently been built and used by a 
shooting party from the Erebus or Terror. The stones used instead of 
stakes, which could not be driven into the frozen ground, lay scattered 
around, and some well-blackened boulders indicated where the fireplace 
had been. Bones, empty meat-cans, and porter bottles were strewn 
around, and told of feasts and good cheer, but no written word helped to 
solve the mystery which occupied so fully the minds of our searchers. 

Soon after this the Intrepid and Pioneer fell in with the other Eng- 
lish vessels which, together with the two American brigs, were engaged 
in exploring the same regions as themselves. Nothing further of interest 
occurred save the hardships and adventures common to any crew 
experiencing the rigor of an Arctic winter. After spending the winter 
of 1 850-1 in the ice and narrowly escaping a second imprisonment, the 
squadron reached England in September, 1S51, after a successful trip of 
three weeks. 

DISCOVERIES AND REPORT OF DR. RAE. 

Early in the year 1854, before the return of M'Clure and Belcher, 
the following notice appeared in the London Gazette: 

"Notice is 'hereby given that if intelligence be not received before the 
31st of March next of the officers and crews of H. M. S. Erebus and 
Terror being alive, the names of the officers will be removed from the 
Navy List, and they and the crews of those ships will be considered as 
having died in Her Majesty's service. The pay and wages of the officers 
and crews of those ships will cease on the 31st of March next; and all 
persons legally entitled, and qualifying themselves to claim the pay and 
wages then due, will be paid the same on application to the Accountant 
General of Her Majesty's navy. 

"By command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty." 



438 A THRILLING STORT. 

In a letter full of affection and hope for her lost consort, Lady Frank- 
lin deprecated to the admiralty the necessity under which they had felt 
compelled to take this summary step. In gracious terms the admiralty 
explained to her ladyship the exigencies of the case. Their sympathies 
and finances were all needed for the prosecution of the Russian war; and 
the particular date announced had been chosen since it was the close of 
the fiscal year, and it was necessary to close the accounts for that period. 

However cruel it may seem to have thus classed among the dead those 
of whose death no certain tidings had been gained, the intelligence re- 
ceived from Dr. Rae a few months later, seems to have confirmed as ap- 
propriate, the decision of the admiralty. His story is briefly this: He 
had been sent by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1853 to complete the 
survey of the long isthmus of land which connects North Somerset with 
the American continent under the name of Boothia. 

Repeating his plan of operations in 1849, R- ae wintered at the lakes 
on the isthmus which divide Regent's Inlet from Repulse Bay, and early 
in the spring of 1S54 started with his sledge party to accomplish his 
task. While making his way to the northwest, he met on the 20th of 
April an Esquimaux, who, upon being asked if he had ever seen any 
ships or white men, replied no, but that "a party of white men had died 
of starvation a long distance to the 'west of where he then was, and be- 
yond a large river!" 

After questioning this Esquimaux further, Rae gleaned the following 
information, which we give as it was presented in his report: "In the 
spring, four winters since (1850), while some Esquimaux families were 
killing seals near the north coast of a large island, named in Arrow- 
smith's charts King William's Land, about forty white men were seen 
traveling in company southward over the ice, and dragging a boat and 
sledges with them. They were passing along the west shore of the 
above-named islands None of the above party could speak the Esqui- 
maux language so well as to be understood; but by signs the natives 
were led to believe that the ship or ships had been crushed by ice, and 
that they were now going where they expected to find deer to shoot. 
From the appearance of the men, all of whom, with the exception of 




439 



440 CANNIBALISM. 

an officer, were hauling on the drag-ropes of the sledge, and looked thin, 
they were then supposed to be getting short of provisions; and they pur- 
chased a seal, or piece of seal from the natives. The officer was de- 
scribed as being a tall, stout, middle-aged man. When their day's jour- 
ney terminated, they pitched tents to rest in. 

"At a later date the same season, but previous to the disruption of the 
ice, the corpses of some thirty persons, and some graves, were discov- 
ered on the continent, and five dead bodies on an island near it, about a 
long day's journey to the northwest of the mouth of a large stream, 
which can be no other than Back's Great Fish River, as its description 
and that of the low shore in the neighborhood of Point Ogle and Mon- 
treal Island agree exactly with that of Sir Geo. Back. Some of the 
bodies were in a tent or tents ; others were under the boat, which had 
been turned over to form a shelter, and some lay scattered about in dif- 
ferent directions. Of those seen on the island, one was supposed to have 
been an officer, as he had a telescope strapped over his shoulders, and a 
double-barreled gun lay beneath him. 

" From the mutilated state of many of the bodies, and the contents of 
the kettles, it is evident that our wretched countrymen had been driven 
to the dread alternative of cannibalism as a means of sustaining life. 
There must have been among this party a number of telescopes, guns, 
watches, compasses, etc., all of which seem to have been broken up, as I 
saw pieces of these articles with the natives, and I purchased as many as 
possible, together with some silver spoons and forks, an Order of Merit 
in the form of a stai", and a small silver plate engraved 'Sir John Frank- 
lin, K. C. B.' " 

In this report Dr. Rae sent a list of things bought from the Esqui- 
maux, and afterward on his return to England brought the articles them- 
selves, and received the proffered reward of £ 10,000. He had not proved 
the death of Franklin, but his account bore terribly painful evidence to 
the now generally received opinion that the whole combined crew, 135 
in number, had miserably perished. From Rae we revert to the details 
of the adventures of the American Grinnell Expedition, already referred 
to in a previous chapter. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

FIRST GRINNELL EXPEDITION ACTION OF CONGRESS BENEVOLENCE 

OF MR. GRINNELL INSTRUCTIONS LEAVE NEW YORK MEL- 
VILLE BAY IN A LEAD ICE-NAVIGATION ARCTIC FLORA A 

FORTUNATE ESCAPE. 

The anxiety felt by the people of Great Britain for the rescue or dis- 
covery of Sir John Franklin, was warmly appreciated and shared by 
their friends on this side of the water. Except from a scientific stand- 
point, the discovery of a Northwest Passage did not, for plain reasons, 
have the interest for the United States that it had for England. But 
America had looked with admiration upon that display of valor and hero- 
ism which had had such a tragical termination; and her great heart 
beat in sympathy for the bereaved nation and the afflicted widow. Thus 
we find private benevolence co-operating with the public purse in fitting 
out expeditions in behalf of the object common to at least two nations. 

The chief American expeditions for this purpose were three in number, 
commonly called the Grinnell Expeditions, from the agency of Mr. Henry 
Grinnell of New York, in their conception and execution. The first was 
commanded by Lieut. DeHaven, U. N.; the second by Dr. Kane, U. N., 
and the third by Mr. C. F. Hall, of Cincinnati. An account of these 
voyages will be given in their chronological order. 

Lady Jane Franklin had personally applied to the United States for 
aid " in the enterprise of snatching the lost navigators from a dreary 
grave." The matter was considered by Congress, but owing to the cir- 
cumstances and time of its introduction, the measure for responding to 
this appeal was threatened by defeat. At this juncture the benevolent 
gentleman above mentioned generously fitted out two of his own vessels 
and tendered their use to the United States government. Reassured or 

stimulated by such liberality, Congress accepted the gift, and immediately 

441 



442 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVANCE. 

authorized the executive to detach men :md officers from the navy to 
accompany and take charge of the expedition. Lieut. Edward J. De- 
Haven was chosen as commander, and Dr. E. K. Kane, who was sum- 
moned by telegram from his field of labor on the Gulf of Mexico, as 
medical officer. 

It may be well to state here, that Lieut. DeHaven declining to make 
more than an official report of the voyage, an extended account was 
written and published by Dr. Kane, being compiled largely from his 
journal. We shall feel free, accordingly, when occasion presents itself, 
to quote from his copious observations in his own clear and graceful 
style. 

The two vessels proffered by Mr. Grinnell for the use of the party, 
were the brigs, Advance and Rescue, and were admirably calculated for 
their intended service. Iu an enterprise of this kind strength rather than 
weight or size seems to be the desideratum, and the following descrip- 
tion of the Advance, given by Dr. Kane, well shows the good judgment 
of Mr. Grinnell in the matter of selection : 

" Commencing with the outside, the hull was literally double, a brig 
within a brig. An outer sheathing of two and a half inch oak was 
covered with a second of the same material ; and strips of heavy sheet 
iron extended from the bows to the beam as a shield against the cutting 
action of the ice. The decks were water-tight — -made so by a packing 
of tarred paper between them. The entire interior was lined, ceiled with 
cork, which, independently of its low conducting power, was a valuable 
protection against the condensing moisture, one of the greatest evils of 
the polar climate. 

" The strengthening of her skeleton — her wooden framework — was 
admirable. Forward from keelson to deck was a mass of solid timbers, 
clamped and dovetailed with nautical wisdom, for seven feet from the 
cutwater; so that we could spare a foot or two of our bow without spring- 
ing aleak. To prevent the ice from forcing in her sides she was built 
with an extra set of beams running athwart her length at intervals of 
four feet, and so arranged as to ship and unship at pleasure. From the 
Samson posts, strong, radiating timbers, called shores, diverged in every 



INSTRUCTIONS. 443 

direction; and oaken knees, hanging- and oblique, were added wherever 
space would permit." 

The plan of the voyage, as indicated by the formal message of 
instruction from the Secretary of the Navy to Lieut. DeHaven, was 
briefly as follows: 

The main object of the expedition was understood to be the discovery 
of Sir Jno. Franklin and his companions; subjects of scientific inquiry 
were to be considered only so far as they might not interfere with the 
grand object of the search. 

The ships were to steer for Barrow's Straits, and decision was to be 
then made as to whether they should separate; in case of separation a 
place of rendezvous was to be agreed upon with Commander Griffin, 
who was to have charge of the Rescue. 

In case Barrow's Strait could not be approached or penetrated, atten- 
tion was to be directed' to Smith's Sound or Jones' Sound; and in case the 
ice should materially obstruct these, making entrance impossible or dan- 
gerous, the expedition was advised to return at once to New York, or 
make further search at the discretion of the leader. 

As the entire Arctic face of the Continent had been traversed in 
search of the missing navigators, it was thought useless tore-examine 
those points. 

The commander was enjoined not to take any course which would 
hazard his own life or that of the crew, and was advised to spend only 
one winter in the Arctic regions. 

On the 22d of May, 1S50, the two ships were towed out of New 
York harbor and after taking leave of Mr. Grinnell and his sons, who 
had accompanied the ships out to sea, they tacked away in good earnest, 
and were soon out of sight of the metropolis. The course along up the 
Atlantic till the coast of Greenland was reached, was varied by the new 
experiences of icebergs and driftwood from the far north. An occasional 
school of whales was met, to amuse the crew with their porpoise-like 
tumbling about the ship. The lengthening days, also, as gradual advance 
was made toward the north, was a novel experience, and when at last the 
sun ceased altogether to disappear below the horizon, the usual order of 



444 ARCTIC TERMS. 

things seemed quite subverted. To these things the crew quickly became 
accustomed, and routine on board the ships being perfect, the enthusiasm 
for discovery soon caused these disturbing elements to be forgotten. 

The 1st of July found the little squadron approaching Melville 
Bay — that well-known wholesale depot of ice, both new and old. 
It was the fate of the Advance and Rescue, as it had been of many ships 
before them, to become engaged in a large ice-pack; and for weeks they 
lay without being able to advance or recede, except with the pack. It 
may not be generally known that ice-navigation, or the manceuvering of 
a vessel necessary when involved in a pack, has become a recognized 
branch of the nautical art, — being, as it were, a science in itself, and 
having its own terminology to designate the difficulties peculiar to such 
an event, and the movements necessary to gain relief. Dr. Kane's de- 
scription of a scene in this particular time of extremity is too vivid and 
tvpical to omit or abridge : 

" Let us begin by imagining a vessel or, for variety, two of them 
speeding along at eight knots an hour, and heading directly for a long, 
low margin of ice about two miles off. ' D'ye see any opening?' cries 
the captain, hailing an officer on the fore top-sail yard. 'Something like 
a lead a little to leeward of that iceberg on our port-bow !' In a little 
while we near the ice; our light sails are got in, our commander taking 
the place of the officer, who has resumed his station on the deck. * * 

" Now commences the process of ' conning.' Such work with the 
helm is not often seen in ordinary seas. The brig's head is pointed for 
the open gap; the watch are stationed at the braces; a sort of silence 
prevails. Presently comes down the stentorian voice of our commander, 
'Hard-a starboard!' and at the same moment, the yards yield to the ready 
hands on the braces. The ship turns her nose into a sudden indentation, 
and bangs her quarters against a big lump of smashing ice. ' Steady, 
there!' For half a minute not a sound, until a second yell, — 'Down, 
down! hard down !' and then we rub, and scrape, and jam, and thrust 
aside, and are thrust aside; but somehow or other find ourselves in an 
open canal losing itself in the distance. This is a lead. * * 

" Looking ahead, we see that our lead is getting narrower, its sides 



IN A LEAD. 



445 



edging toward each other; it is losing its straightness. At the same 
moment came a complicated succession of orders: ' Helm-a starboard! 
' Port! ' ' Easy! ' ' So! ' ' Steady-ee! ' ' Hard-a-port! ' ' Hard, hard, hard! ' 
(Scrape, scratch, thump.) 'Eugh!' an anomalous grunt, and we are 
jammed fast between two great ice-fields of unknown extent. The cap- 
tain comes down, and we all go quietly to supper. 

" Next comes some processes unconnected with the sails, our wings. 
These will explain, after Arctic fashion, the terms 'heave,' and 'warp,' 




r J?^ 



ARCTIC TOOLS. 



and 'track,' and 'haul,' for we are now beset in ice, and what little wind 
we have, is dead ahead. A couple of hands, under orders, of course, 
seize an iron hook, or ice anchor, of which we have two sizes, one of 
forty, and another of about one hundred pounds; with this they jump 
from the bows and plant it in the ice ahead, close to the edge of the 
crack along which we wish to force our way. To plant an ice anchor, a 
hole is cut obliquely to the surface of the floe, either 'with an ice-chisel or 
with the anchor itself used pick-axe fashion, and into this hole the larger 



446 MELVILLE BAT. 

corner of the anchor is hooked. Once fast, you slip a hawser around the 
smaller end and secure it from further slip by a ' mousing ' of rope- 
yarn. The slack of the hawser is passed around the shaft of our patent 
winch, — an apparatus of cogs and levers standing in our bow, and 
everything in far less time than it takes me to describe it, is ready for 
'heaving.' 

" Then comes the hard work. The hawser is hauled taut; the strain 
is increased. Everybody, captain, cook, steward, and doctor, is taking a 
spell at the pump-handles, or overhauling the warping gear; for dignity 
does not take care of its hands in the middle pack, until at last if the 
floes be not too obdurate, they separate by the wedge-like action of our 
bows, and we force our way into a little cleft which is kept open on either 
side by the vessel's beam. But the quiescence, the equilibrium of the ice 
which allows it to be thus severed at its line of junction, is rare enough. 
Oftentimes we heave and haul and sweat, and after parting a ten inch 
hawser, go to bed wet, and tired and discontented, with nothing but ex- 
perience to pay for our toil. This is 'warping.' " 

For twenty-one days they were in this narrow strait between two 
continents of ice, part of the time immovable in relation to the pack, and 
part of the time edging their way along, a yard an hour, by means of 
their "eternal warping." It was now 7 August, and the season fit for 
search was passing away; the prospect of success "was rapidly vanishing, 
and the ice-locked mariners were becoming nearly desperate; when a 
fortunate combination of "winds, currents, and temperature released them, 
and they were able once more to continue their course. 

But it was no quiet lake into which they made their escape from their 
icy besetment. Melville Bav presented itself to them in all its terrors 
From the dark headlands looming up in the distance, a solid shore of ice 
projected itself for miles into the bay. Along this solid ice the great 
drift moves, impelled by the varying winds and currents, sometimes close 
to its edge, sometimes at such a distance as to leave a passable channel of 
open water. Down this channel the great icebergs came sweeping along; 
and more than once during their first night in the bay, all hands were 
called on deck to warp the vessels out of their course. Through the 



AN ARCTIC GARDEN. 



44: 



channel, between the advancing floes and solid ice, the vessels made 
their laborious way, sometimes by towing, sometimes by their sails; but 
holding always upon their northwestward course. This transit across 
Melville Bay, a distance of not more than three hundred miles, consumed 
five entire weeks of a voyage whose success depends upon clays, and 
even hours. A small steamer would have towed them across in a couple 
of days. 




ARCTIC PLANT. (ACTUAL SIZE.) 



As they skirted these icy shores, they not infrequently found oppor- 
tunities to leave the vessels, and sometimes came upon spots amid snow 4 
and ice where the reflected rays of the sun formed a delicious little Al- 
pine garden, green with mosses and carices, and surrounded with shrubs 



448 A NARROW ESCAPE. 

and trees — what passed for shrubs and trees, in the meagerness of Arctic 
vegetation; plants like those dwarf specimens produced by Chinese art. 
There was the wild blueberry in full flower and fruitage, yet so small 
that it might have been inclosed in a wine glass; wild honeysuckles, an 
entire plant of which might have been worn in one's button-hole; wil- 
lows like a leaf of clover; trees, not one of which reached to the level 
of a man's knees, while the majority, clinging along the ground, scarcely 
rose to the height of the shoes of the navigators who towered above 
them like the giants of Brobdignag among the vegetation of Lilliput. 
The processes of nature, hampered or rather modified by the Arctic 
temperature, produce results quaintly differing from those to which we, 
reared in the climate of 4o°-5o°, are daily witnesses. Kane had oppor- 
tunity to measure the depth of the accumulating mosses of many years. 
In many places he found it five or more feet in height, and counted sixty- 
eight different layers indicating the fertilizing accumulations of as many 
years. 

The auks had built their nests upon the rocks overhanging the min- 
iature hot-beds, and the apparently easy ascent invited adventure. 

" Urged by a wish to study the habits of these little Arctic emigrants 
at their homesteads, I foolishly clambered up to one of their most populous 
colonies, without thinking of my descent. The angle of deposit was 
already very great, not much less than 50 , and as I moved on, with a 
walking-pole substituted for my gun, I was not surprised to find the frag- 
ments receding under my feet, and rolling with a resounding crash, to 
the plain below. Stopping, however, to regain my breath, I found that 
everything, beneath, around, above me, was in motion. The entire sur- 
face seemed to be sliding down. Ridiculous as it may seem to dwell 
upon a matter apparently so trivial, my position became one of danger. 
The accelerated velocity of the masses caused them to leap off in deflected 
lines. Several uncomfortable fragments had already passed by me, 
some even over my head, and my walking-pole was jerked from my 
hands and buried in the ruins. Thus helpless, I commenced my own 
half-involuntary descent, expecting momentarily to follow my pole, when 
my eye caught a projecting outcrop of feldspar, against which the strong 



OFF TO LANCASTER. 



449 



current split into two minor streams. This, with some hard jumps, I 
succeeded in reaching." 

By the middle of August it became evident that the expedition 
would he able to pass the ice, and would winter in the almost unknown 
regions of the Northwest. Their spirits rose when the ice-pack was 
cleared, and instead of threading the winding channels among the ice, 
they bade good-bye to the bay of the "famous Mr. William Baffin, "' and 
with full sails headed toward Lancaster Sound. 




THE ARCTIC OWL. 



29 



CHAPTER L. 

A COMPARISON MEET WITH ENGLISH SQUADRON SEARCH IN CON- 
CERT- — GRAVES DISCOVERED VARYING CONCLUSIONS END OF 

SUMMER TOGETHER ONCE MORE UNPLEASANT INFORMATION 

—AN UNPRECEDENTED DRIFT. 

Probably most of those 'who read this book have been reared in the 
zone of the oak, the maple, and waving fields of grain; or some, perhaps, 
have passed their lives in a still more genial region, where the orange 
flourishes and the sun invites to a life of indolence, and sensuous enjoy- 
ment of Nature's lavish gifts. Such will find it hard to realize the con- 
dition and sensations of those who, like themselves, accustomed to the 
variety of temperate regions, have been transported suddenly to the land 
where continuous night or prolonged day is the rule. 

The reader has been accustomed to night and day; he has felt the 

soothing influence of the twilight merging gradually into darkness, 

whose more somber hues invite repose and sleep; and he is used to the 

speedy return of day whose stimulating sunlight urges once more to 

activity. But in the long watches of Arctic life there comes no such 

pleasing variety. For six months the benighted Esquimaux or the 

chance adventurer mourns the absence of the light-giving orb ; life-giving 

as well as light-giving, for in his absence health fails and the spirit sinks 

in depression and melancholy. On the other hand, joyous as is his 

appearance, when once he establishes his course above the horizon, his 

constant presence stimulates to unnatural and excessive activity. The 

hours of rest: are broken. Meal-times tread upon each other's heels, and 

only the most rigid self-government can prevent a disastrous subversion 

of the accustomed order of everyday eveuts. Such are some of the 

necessary obstacles in the way of those who would unravel the mysteries 

of Arctic life. 

450 



MEET WITH ENGLISH SQUADRON. 451 

We left our little squadron speeding their way as best they could to 
Lancaster Sound. At three hours after midnight on the morning of the 
3 ist, they overhauled the Felix, the foremost of the vessels of the 
British search expedition, under command of the brave old veteran Sir 
John Ross. " You and I are ahead of them all !" shouted the hale old 
Englishman in tones that rose above the noise of the winds and the 
ships' rigging. He had been cast away in this .same country seventeen 
years before; had spent life and fortune in service of his country; and 
here he was again in a frail bark searching for the grave, perhaps, of a 
lost comrade. The next day, while checked by the barrier of ice shut- 
ting up the passage to Port Leopold, they -were overtaken by the gallant 
little Prince Albert, Lady Franklin's own ship, fitted out to prosecute the 
search for her missing lord. Kane says of this interview : 

" This was a very pleasant meeting. Capt. Forsyth, who commanded 
the Prince Albert, and Mr. Snow, who acted as a sort of adjutant under 
him, were very agreeable gentlemen. They spent some hours with us 
which Mr. Snow has remembered kindly in his journal which he has 
published since his return to England. Their little vessel was much less 
perfectly fitted than ours to encounter the perils of the ice; but in one 
respect at least, their expedition resembled our own. They had to rough 
it. To use a Western phrase, they had no fancy fixings — nothing but 
what a hasty outfit and a limited purse could supply." The journal re- 
ferred to above reveals what Kane's modest narrative would never have 
disclosed — with what gallantry the American squadron led the way 
through the ice ; and especially the bravery of Kane himself, whose bril- 
liant ventures gained for him among the British the appellation of the 
" mad Yankee." 

On the 27th the varying chances of the search in the contracted 
waters had brought together within a quarter of a mile near Beechey 
Head, five vessels belonging to three separate searching expeditions; 
Ross', Capt. Penny's, and their own. The greatest good feeling and dis- 
interestedness prevailed among all. The whole-souled Capt. Penny had 
soon prepared a plan of action for the three parties. Some traces as it 
was supposed, of the missing mariners, had been discovered on Beechey 



452 



THRILLING NEWS. 



Island. Penny's plan was to assign different parts of the island to 
different parties; he himself would take the western search ; Ross should 
run over to Prince Regent's Sound, and the American Expedition was to 
pass through the first openings in the ice by Wellington Channel to the 
north and east. These projects were just receiving preliminary dis- 
cussion when a messenger was reported hastening over the ice. 

" The news he brought was thrilling. 'Graves, Captain Penny! 
Graves! Franklin's winter quarters!" We were instantly in motion. 



." . J h 





OH BEECHEY ISLAND. 

Capt. De Haven, Capt. Penny, Commander Phillies, and myself, with a 
party from the Rescue, hurried on over the rugged slope that extends 
from Beechey to the shore, and scrambling over the ice, came after a 
weary walk to the crest ot the isthmus. Here amid the sterile uniformity 
of snow and slate, were the headboards of three graves, made after the 
old orthodox fashion of gravestones at home. The mounds which 
adjoined them were arranged with some pretensions to symmetry, coped 
and defended with limestone slabs. They occupied a line facing toward 



RELICS. 453 

Cape Riley, which was distinctly visible across a little cove at the dis- 
tance of some four hundred yards. Upon these stones were inscriptions 
which conveyed important information; the first, cut with a chisel, ran 

thus : 

' Sacred 

to the 

memory 

of 

N. Braine R. M. 

H. M. S. Erebus, 

Died April 3d, 1846, 

aged 32 years. 

Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. 

Joshua, chap. 24 — 15.' " 

The other two epitaphs were very similar to the one just transcribed. 
The words of one — "Departed this life on board the Terror," proved 
that, in the spring of 1S46, at least, Franklin's ship had not been 
wrecked. The evidences were plentiful that the expedition had passed 
a safe and comfortable winter. There was the anvil block and the traces 
of the armorer's forge and carpenter's shop; the trough which had served 
for washing a rude garment fashioned by a sailor's hand from a blanket; 
a key; fragments of paper; the gloves of on officer washed and laid 
out to dry under two stones to prevent them from blowing away. There 
was a little garden-plot, with its transplanted mosses and anemones. 
There were the three graves already described, the headstones in- 
scribed with scriptural text. Yet not a trace existed of any memoran- 
dum or mark to throw the least ray of light upon the condition or designs 
of the party. A melancholy interest attached to these relics, from the 
fact that they were the latest mementoes of the lost navigators; and 
every day was deepening the apprehension that they were the last tid- 
ings which would be had of them until the grave gave up its dead. 
Strangest of all was that Franklin, the practical, experienced navigator, 
grown gray in the perils of Arctic sailing, should have left no record of 
his achievements in the past months, nor of his needs or plans for the 
future. 



454 END OF SUMMER. 

Kane, ever sanguine, and full of conjectures, did not see evidences of 
sorrow or extremity in the traces discovered, nor in the fact that no rec- 
ord was left, and thought it probable that the party had left their quar- 
ters with the intention of returning. "A garden," says he, "implies a 
purpose either to remain or return,; he who makes it is looking to the fu- 
ture." He thought that the party, tempted by an opening in Wellington 
Channel, had sailed away with the promptness that had always charac- 
terized the brave old commander, and were possibly exploring the open 
sea beyond, if living; or if not, that their remains would be found among 
the ice fields of the frozen north. And he accounted for the absence of 
a record, in the haste with which such a departure might naturally be 
made. These conclusions seemed very reasonable. That they were 
wrong everybody knows, but the course of reasoning by which they 
were arrived at, shows both the hopefulness and ready logic of their 
author. 

With the close of August the brief Ai-ctic summer began to come to 
an end. The sun traveled far to the south, and the northern midnight 
began to assume the somber hues of twilight. The ice was growing 
thicker and closer around the vessels, which vainly attempted to urge 
their way to the western shores of Wellington Channel. The thickness 
of the tables of ice sometimes reached fourteen feet, and huge hum- 
mocks were heaped up by the force of their impact to a height of forty 
feet or more, overtopping the decks, and threatening to topple down up- 
on them. The great masses drifted past the vessels, usually just missing 
contact with them. On one occasion, however, the Rescue was caught 
bodily up by a drifting floe until the mooring cables parted, when she shot 
ahead into an open patch of water. The Advance escaped the impact 
by hugging close to the solid ice. The British vessels were less fortu- 
nate, being swept on by the resistless force of the moving mass. 

During the early September days the cold began rapidly to increase. 
The thermometer fell by night to 21 °, and rarely in the daytime rose 
above the freezing point. No fires had been lighted below. The historian 
of the expedition retiring to his narrow berth and drawing close the 
India-rubber curtains, lighted his lamp and wrote his journal in a freezing 



UNWELCOME TIDINGS. 455 

temperature. "This is not very cold," he say«, under date of September 
8, "no doubt to your 45 ° ?ninus men of Arctic winters; but to us from 
the zone of liriodendrons and peaches it is rather cold for the September 
month of watermelons." On this same Sth of September the Ameri- 
can expedition had the mortification of seeing the English vessels in tow 
of their steamers shooting ahead of them right in the teeth of the wind. 
They felt that they were now the hindmost of all the searchers. "All 
have the lead of us," is the desponding entry in Dr. Kane's journal. 
Two days later, however, the two American and all the English vessels 
found themselves together once more, anchored fast to the solid ice, with 
the way to the westward impassably blocked up before them. 

Now began the real and earnest perils of the expedition. On the 
1 2th a storm arose, which swept the Rescue from her moorings, and 
drove her out of sight of her consort. It soon became evident that the 
great mass of ice to which they were moored, was slowly drifting, 
whither they knew not. The cold increased. The thermometers sank 
to 14°, then to 8°, then to 5 , vet no fires were lighted in the cabins of 
the Americans, though those in the British vessels were under full blast. 

The next day the Advance fell in with her lost consort, partially dis- 
abled. It being evident that all further progress to the north and west 
was impracticable, the commander decided to turn his course homeward. 
But many a long and dreary Arctic night was destined to elapse before 
the vessels escaped from Wellington Channel. 

Toward evening on the 14th of September, while the vessel was 
rapidly crunching her way through the ice that was forming around, the 
Doctor had retired below, hoping to restore some warmth to his stiffened 
limbs. It was a somewhat unpromising task, for the temperature in the 
cabin was close upon zero. The dull, grinding sound of the vessel labor- 
ing through the ice, gi'ew jerking and irregular; it stopped, began again, 
grew fainter and fainter; at last all was still. Down to the cabin went 
the commander with the words: "Doctor, the ice has caught us; we are 
frozen up." And so it proved. There was the American Searching 
Expedition fast embedded in the ice in the very center of Wellington 
Channel. Here commenced that wonderful drift, which lasted more than 



456 A NIP. 

eight months, back and fqrth, through the Arctic seas, wherever the 
winds and currents impelled the continent of ice. No vessel was ever 
beleaguered so before; and probably no other one that had ever floated, 
would have escaped from such a beleaguerment. Before this the explor- 
ers had been so thoroughly busied in carrying out the objects of their 
voyage, that they had bestowed hardly a thought upon their own per- 
sonal comfort or safety. With the thermometer at zero, they had no 
means of producing artificial heat in the cabin. The moisture from so 
many breaths had condensed till the beams were all a-drip, and every- 
thing bore the aspect of having been exposed to a drenching mist. The 
delay occasioned by their involuntary detention was put to some use, by 
fitting up a lard lamp in the cabin, by which the temperature was raised 
to twelve degrees above the freezing, or 44 ° above zero. This degree of 
warmth was accounted a positive luxury. So, in uncertainty and gloom, 
they drifted to and fro, sometimes to the north, and sometimes to the 
south, in the " waste of waters." 

The animal life with which the region had heretofore been teeming, 
now almost wholly disappeared, and to this fact was added the appar- 
ently precarious condition superinduced by the bondage of ice. Some 
of the smaller and more hardy animals and birds still remained, but these 
were in small numbers, while*the most of the seals, the polar bear, and 
all that gave occasion for exercise, and afforded nourishment and incident, 
had vanished. As the weather became more severe, the danger of being 
"nipped" or caught between two masses of ice and perhaps crushed, 
became more and more imminent. Ten days after they were frozen in, 
occurred the first of the fearful nips with which they were soon to be- 
come familiarized. A field of ice fourteen inches thick, overlaid with an 
additional half foot of snow, is driven, with a slow and uniform motion, 
directly down upon the helpless vessel, which is half bm"ied beneath the 
shattered fragments. The force behind impels the broken fragments up- 
ward in great tables rising in large mounds above the level of the deck, 
and threatening to topple over and overwhelm the vessel. Other frag- 
ments take a downward direction, and slide below the brig, which is 
lifted sheer out of the water, and rests unevenly upon shattering blocks 



IN WINTER QUARTERS. 457 

ol" ice. Amid darkness and cold, and snow, nnd deadly peril, all hands 
are called aloft with crows and picks, to " fight the ice " that rises around. 
Well was it that the ice which thus drifted down upon them was the 
new ice just forming. Had it been the solid mass of later -winter, no fab- 
ric that man has framed of wood or iron could have withstood it. As it 
was, the ice which was now their assailant, became afterward their pro- 
tector, and warded off the collision with other packs against which 
they subsequently drifted. By the ist of October the icy setting around 
them had become so firm, that for a time they experienced something 
like repose. 

Deliberate preparations now began to be made for passing the winter 
in the ice. Stoves and fuel were brought up from the hold, and with 
the thermometer at 20 below the freezing point, the work of manu- 
facturing a stove pipe was undertaken. Embankments of snow and ice 
were made about the vessel, in which was deposited coal and stores. But 
alas, for the stability of Arctic weather! Hardly was this accomplished 
when the floe began breaking up, and all hands, officers and men, set to 
work to replace the stores upon the vessel. So insecure was still the po- 
sition of both vessels, that it was not till the 19th of October that they 
were able to set up stoves in the cabin, and for warmth they were still 
forced to rely upon the lard lamp. So accustomed had they become to 
a temperature but a few degrees above the freezing point, that they 
would have been quite content had it not been for the perpetual mois- 
ture dripping from the roof and sides, a circumstance full of danger to 
those having a scorbutic tendency. This was at last mitigated in some 
degree by canvas gutters, by which several cans full of water were 
daily collected, which would otherwise have fallen upon the floor. 

The experience of Kane well illustrates the power of the human 
system to adapt itself to varied circumstances. Only a few months be- 
fore he was in the warm regions of the Gulf, luxuriating in its tepid 
waters, and basking in its sunshine. Now he contentedly watched for 
hours by a seal hole in the open air, with the thermometer 20 degrees 
below the freezing point, and if successful in shooting it, ate of its raw 
flesh with a relish. 



458 



KILLING A SEAL. 



The long Arctic night, or rather succession of nights and days (for, 
although midnight and noon were scarcely distinguishable, they still 
managed to separate them in their chronology), was varied as far as 
possible by races, games and seal hunting, although the seals had become 
scarce and more than usually shy. Kane speaks, in his characteristic 
manner, of killing one of these reticent animals: 

" To shoot seals one must practice the Esquimaux tactics, of much 
patience and complete immobility. It is no fun, I assure you, after full 
experience, to sit motionless and noiseless as a statue, with a cold iron 
musket in your hands, and the thermometer io° below zero. By and 




SHOOTING SEALS. 

by I was rewarded by seeing some overgrown Greenland calves come 
within shot. I missed. After another hour of cold expectation they 
came again. Very strange are these seals. A countenance between the 
dog and the wild African ape, an expression so like that of humanity, 
that it makes gun-murderers hesitate. At last, at long shot, I hit one. 
God forgive me! 

" The ball did not kill outright. It was out of range, struck too low, 
and entered the lungs. The poor beast had risen breast-high out of 
water, like treading-water swimmers among ourselves. He was looking 
about with curious and expectant eyes, when the ball entered his lungs. 



COURSE OF THE SHIPS. 459 

"For a moment he oozed a little bright blood from his mouth, and 
looked toward me with a startled reproachfulness. Then he dipped; an 
instant after he came up still nearer, looked again, bled again, and went 
down. * * ■* The thing was drowning in the element of his sport- 
ive revels. He did drown finally, and sank; and so I lost him. 

"Have naturalists ever noticed the expression of this animal's phiz? 
Curiosity, contentment, pain, reproach, despair, even resignation, I 
thought I saw on this seal's face.". 

Thus passed the month of October, during which the expedition was 
drifting about near the outlet of Wellington Bay, in a general southern 
direction, although a south wind would occasionally force them back to 
the north. But it soon appeared that the progress in this direction was 
impeded by more compact ice, and by a steady current; while a north 
wind drove steadily before it the thick floe in which they were embedded. 



CHAPTER LI. 

ARRANGEMENTS ICY ANALOGIES DEPRESSING INFLUENCES IN- 
GENIOUS REMEDIES THE HISTRIONIC ART THREATENED BY A 

BERG THE SUN RE-APPEARS* THE ICE-SAW THE GRAND 

BREAK-UP TOWARD THE GREENLAND COAST A SHORT 

RESPITE. 

The 9th of November found the arrangements for the winter com- 
plete. Over the entire deck of the Advance was thrown a housing of 
thick felt, resting on an improvised ridge-pole running fore and aft. 
Under the main hatch was the cook's galley, with its pipe running 
through the felt roof above. Around the pipe was built an apparatus 
for melting ice, to supply them with water. The bulk-heads between 
the forecastle and the cabin were removed, throwing both into one 
apartment, occupied by both officers and men in common. As the crews 
of both vessels were collected in the Advance, this small room was the 
home of thirty-one persons. Warmth was distributed through the 
cabin by three stoves besides the cooking galley; and as the unbroken 
night set in, four argand and three bear's fat lamps supplied the place of 
sunlight. Need enough was there for all this heating apparatus, for be- 
fore the winter -was fairly begun the temperature was 40 ° below zero. 

Fancy a day in the ice, as spent by the ice-fettered explorers. At 
half-past six by the chronometers, the crew are called; the officers a half 
an hour later. Their ablutions must be performed first, to wash off the 
soot and grim accumulated during the night. This is accomplished in 
half-frozen snow water. Then the toilet must be made. Three pairs of 
socks, several undershirts and outer robes of fur, the whole complemented 
by a cap and hood of sealskin, must be donned; and all hands take a 
turn on deck, to get up an appetite for breakfast. This is found neces- 
sary, for the nameless stenches connected with the sleeping room, kitchen 

460 



DEPRESSING INFLUENCES. 461 

and larder combined, suffice to completely nauseate the " stoutest stomach 
of them all." 

Nothing better showed the extremity of the weather than the con- 
dition and appearance of the various articles of provisions. Everything 
was transformed into some grotesque analogy of itself. All vegetables 
were pebbles of assorted varieties. Frozen meat was hard as building 
stone. The fat of the bear and the seal — liquid at respectably low tem- 
perature, were like marble; a pleasing assemblage of figures moulded 
and carved from nature by nature. 

The extreme temperature and the absence of the sun began to tell 
upon the health and spirits of the men. In more temperate regions we 
learn to recognize the tendency to rheumatic diseases and depression of 
spirits occasioned by even a few days of cloudy weather. This condi- 
tion was fulfilled to perfection in the case of our explorers. All faces 
began to assume a livid paleness, like plants growing in darkness. The 
men grew moody and dreamy. They heard strange sounds in the night, 
and had wonderful visions in their sleep. One dreamed of wandering 
off among the ice and returning laden with 'watermelons; another had 
found Sir John Franklin in a beautiful cove lined with orange trees; 
and a third, in the half-delirium of his mental wanderings, had heard his 
wife and children crying for help. All were particularly sensitive 
to supposed slights or effrontery on the part of the rest. This led to un- 
pleasant feelings and painful scenes. The officers alone, by strict guard 
upon their tongues, managed to keep up a show of good feeling. Sick- 
ness appeared in new and peculiar forms, and the genius of our physician 
and author was taxed to the utmost to provide for th.e sanitary necessities 
of the party. As is usually the case, the scurvy-afflicted adhered to the 
fatal diet of salt meat, and cunning had to be resorted to, in order to 
save them from themselves. As they would not eat the anti-scorbutic 
food provided, the doctor prepared a sort of beer from his little store of 
vegetables. Olive-oil and lime-juice, raw potatoes, saur-kraut and 
vinegar combined, made a delectable compound which the men drank 
greedily. So successful was this treatment that, as we shall see, not one 
of the crew was lost. 



462 THE HISTRIONIC ART. 

Christmas Day was spent with as much merry-making as could be 
contrived in the almost total absence of resources. Some bottles of 
champagne remained, and the French cook prepared an elaborate dinner. 
Mr. Bruce, one of the crew, and possessed of divers qualifications, had 
contrived a play, and the crew had undertaken to produce it upon an 
extemporized stage. "Never," says Kane, "had I enjoyed the tawdry 
quackery of the stage half so much. The theater has always been to me 
a wretched simulation of realities; and I have too little sympathy with the 
unreal to find pleasure in it long. Not so our Arctic theater. It was one 
continual frolic from beginning to end. 

" The 'Blue Devils' : God bless us! but it was very, very funny. None 
knew their parts, and the prompter could not read glibly enough to do 
his office. Everything, whether jocose or indignant, or common-place, 
or pathetic, was delivered in a high tragedy monotone of despair; five 
words at a time, or more or less, according to the facilities of the 
prompter. Megrim, with a pair of sealskin boots, bestowed his gold 
upon gentle Annette, and Annette, nearly six feet high, received it with 
mastodonic grace. Annette was an Irishman named Daly ; and I might 
defy human being to hear her, while balanced on the heel of her boot, 
exclaim in rich masculine brogue, 'Och, feather!' without roaring." 

Other amusements followed in like style, but the desolateness of their 
condition, their sepai"ation from home and friends, and the absence of the 
means and opportunity for obtaining help and sympathy, nearly stifled 
all attempts at merriment. New Year's Day was passed in much the 
same way, varied by a race for a purse of three flannel shirts. This 
effort exhausted most of the men, showing the debilitated condition into 
which they had fallen. In the meantime Lieut. DeHaven had grown 
almost helplessly sick, and being confined to his bed, Commander Griffin 
became the executive officer of the combined crews. 

From the 8th of December to the nth of January, the floe in which 
they were fastened had steadily increased in solidity till it seemed scarcely 
less firm than the granite ranges which girdle a continent; and firmly 
embedded in it the vessels enjoyed a season of comparative respite from 
danger. The Advance all this time lay with her bows sunk in the snow 



APPROACH OF DAY. 463 

and ice, and her stern elevated some five or six feet; she also canted over 
to starboard, so that walking- her deck was up-hill work. During this 
time her bare sides had been "banked up" with snow as New England 
and other farmers bank up their houses at the approach of winter. On 
the 1 2th of January a sudden shock brought all hands upon deck. A 
fissure appeared in the ice-plain which soon widened into a broad passage, 
through which the large fragments bore right down upon the vessel. 
At one hour past midnight the crew stood on deck strapped and harness 
ready, to take to the ice. Right down upon them bore the large hum- 
mock upon the vessel's stern, — a mass solid as marble, thirty feet square 
at the base and rising twelve feet out of water; it stops, then advances; 
it approaches so near the vessel that^ hardly enough room is left to admit 
of a man's walking between. That narrow channel crossed, and no 
human art could construct a fabric which would resist the ice-hill's ter- 
rible might. That passage was never crossed. The huge mass stopped ; 
clung to the stern; became impacted there; and for months remained in 
the same place as a ghostly memento of the narrowly-escaped destruction. 
Even while they had prepared to leave the ship, the question arose, 
Whither should they go ? The Rescue, their disabled consort, was scarcely 
an eligible place of safety, and they had drifted far, far, from the coast. 
Indeed, they had already drifted well toward Baffin's Bay. What 
would be the consequence when the two great oceans of ice should 
meet ? 

The approach of Arctic day was hailed with great joy and anxiety, 
and both officers and crew prepared to make suitable demonstrations for 
the appearance of the god of day.' Day by day, the rosy tints shot up 
further, and seemed to the waiting adventurers to bode an end to all 
their trials. The day when the sun could be seen for the first time was 
reckoned to be January 29th — after an absence of eighty-six days. The 
crew were out ready to give three cheers to the great planet as it marked 
in a short period the conjunction of sunrise, noon, and sunset. Dr. Kane 
had separated from the rest, and witnessed the scene by himself. Never did 
the radiant orb receive more hearty welcome from devout Parsee, than 
was given him on this day. "I looked at him," says Kane, "thankfully, 



464 THE ICE-SAW. 

with a great globus in my throat. Then came the shout from the ship 
— three shouts — cheering the sun." 

We must pass over the following days during which, although the 
sun was constantly rising higher, the temperature was still insupportably 
low. It was not till near the close of March that the broad ice-pack be- 
gan fairly to open, and a broad reach of water spread before the eyes of 
the voyagers, weary of the perpetual gaze upon ice, stretching beyond 
the reach of vision. From this time the process of their liberation went 
slowly but surely on. The prevailing northerly winds drifted the floe 
toward more genial latitudes. Frost-smoke began to arise from the ice. 
A slight moisture became perceptible ; the paths along the vessel's side 
became soft and pulpy. The men, long accustomed to an Arctic tem- 
perature, complain that "it is too warm to skate, though the thermom- 
eter indicates a temperature of io° below freezing. At last, on the 
ioth of April that unerring monitor rose to 32 ° at noon-day. Up to 
freezing again! Very soon the cabin-lamps were put out. The crews 
cut the ice from about the Rescue, and she was once more manned in 
readiness for release. The felt covering was taken from the deck of 
the Advance, and daylight prevailed throughout the Arctic regions. 

Early in, May the ice-saw was put in operation as a preliminary at- 
tempt at freeing the vessel. Parallel tracks were cut of convenient 
width, and the ice sawed away in blocks, and hauled to the edge of the 
floe. Thus the open lead was daily brought nearer. In a short time 
the Advance was surrounded on all sides by these floating barricades. 
Shortly, too, the ship showed signs of changing her position, grating a 
little on the moving ice, and seeming to advance a few inches upon the 
remainder of the floe. Desperate endeavors were made to wrench the 
vessels clear from their icy moorings by means of strong tackle and de- 
termined pulls, but in vain; they would not float level upon the water 
till the grand break-up occurred. Meantime the summer was hastening 
on. Evidences of coming final disruption were multiplying about them. 
Animal life increased, birds were flying in every direction, and seals and 
whales were playing on every hand. The floe on which the ships were 
cast had become reduced to a small patch. 



THE GRAND BREAK-UP. 4':5 

On the 29th of May land was seen — one of the capes of Greenland, 
for they had been drifting down Baffin's Bay with the wind and current 
for several months. How suddenly and completely they had been cut off, 
not only from the means of search for Sir John Franklin, but also from 
the place where it was now evident that search should be made! 

The 5th of June witnessed the grand break-up. Commander Griffin, 
the commanding officer of the Rescue, had walked across the ice for a 
call on his friends in the Advance. He had just started for home when 
a crv arose that there was a crack in the floe. Sure enough, there ap- 
peared a crevice in the ice between the two ships, and water flowing 
between the ice-sheets. Reaching the crack hurriedly, he had just time 
to spring across its widening surfice, and escape to his ship. In ten 
minutes more there was water all around the Rescue, and in half an 
hour both vessels floated in their element. A large piece of ice, how- 
ever, clung to the stern of the Advance, and by its great buoyancy held 
her posterior up almost out of water, while her bows suffered a corres- 
ponding depression. Finally, about noon on the 8th of June, one of the 
officers was in the act of clambering down on this attached mass. Hardly 
had his foot touched it when it parted from the vessel. He scrambled 
hurriedly up the side, tearing his nails and clothing in his haste, just in 
time to escape the huge block as it surged up to the surface. The Ad- 
vance was free at last, and floated level with open water all about her. 

Although now clear from any direct attachment of ice, the remain- 
ing portion of the journey to the coast of Greenland was a somewhat 
uncomfortable task. It was too warm to have fires in the cabin, and yet 
the growing dampness of the warmer climate, increased by the pressure 
of icebergs, made fires extremely desirable. In spite of the seal meat, 
of which they now had some reinforcement, the scurvy, deep-seated and 
persevering, broke out again; and it was evident that the tedious pro- 
cess of regaining lost health must be gone through with before any new 
adventures could be attempted. Many of the sailors were ill from shore 
excesses when the vessel left New York, and the circumstances of the 
winter were such as had been most favorable to the reopening of old 

wounds, and the revivification of slumbering virus. Icebergs, in great 
30 



466 



ON LAND. 



numbers, worn and carved by the water's action into many grotesque 
shapes, crowded around them, and impeded their progress; and insig- 
nificant as the remaining distance was, it caused a painful effort, in the 
exhausted and debilitated condition of the party. 

Lieut. DeHaven, who had now recovered sufficiently to take charge 
of the expedition once more, had decided to recuperate at Whalefish 
Islands, off the coast of Greenland, for a few days, and hasten back to 
Melville Bay, Barrow's Strait and Lancaster Sound, and renew the 
search which their untimely besetment had curtailed. Every man con- 
curred heartily in the plan. It is true, they were -worn and weary ; but 
they had had the seasoning which a winter in the ice alone can give, 
and considered themselves as veterans, well fitted by experience for con- ' 
tinued service. As they drew near the coast the same appearance pre- 
sented itself which they had witnessed a year ago ; only they themselves 
had lost the freshness and buoyancy with which they had approached 
the same coast in the preceding summer. The destined port was reached 
on the 16th of June. Dr. Kane, with five others, was dispatched to the 
shore. Esquimaux crowded the bank, dogs barked, and children yelled. 
So, after a short pull, ended that maiwelous nine months of besetment, 
drift, toil and disease. 



ipl 




',; 



CHAPTER LII. 

A PLEASANT PARTY CULTIVATED TASTES DANGEROUS FEATS 

THE NATIONAL DAY BOUND FOR THE NORTH AGAIN ESCAPE 

FROM MELVILLE BAY HOMEWARD RESULTS OF THE VOYAGE. 

The remainder of the story of the expedition might be easily summed 
up. After allowing themselves five days for recruiting, they were again 
on their way to the north. This second journey was peculiarly rich in 
incident and in experience with the natives, with whom the fortunes of 
the past year had not allowed them much communication. All of the 
principal places on that cOast were touched at, each one furnishing its list 
of pleasing happenings. As the fleet landed near Proven, a Danish Es- 
quimaux town well to the north, a merry party of Esquimaux came out 
to greet them, dragging their kayaks after them over seven miles of the 
pack, and then spinning out to them over the narrow channel of water. 
These were soon followed by a yawl load of the gentry of the place. 
The reader "will best enjoy the account of this occasion in Dr. Kane's own 
words: "She (the yawl) brought a pleasant company. Unas, the 
schoolmaster and parish priest, Louisa, his sister, the gentle Amalia, 
Louisa's cousin, and some others of humbler note. The baptismal 
waters had but partially regenerated these savages. Their deportment, 
at least, did not conform to our nicest canons. For the first few minutes, 
to be sure, the ladies kept their faces close covered with their hands, only 
withdrawing them to blow their noses, which they did in the most prim- 
itive and picturesque manner. But their modesty thus assured, they felt 
that it needed no further illustration. They volunteered a dance, avowed 
to us confidentially that they had cultivated tastes— Amalia, that she 
smoked, Louisa, that she tolerated the more enlivening liquids, and 
both that their exercise in the open air made a slight refection altogether 
acceptable. Hospitality is the virtue of these wild regions; our hard tack ? 

and cranberries, and rum, were in requisition at once. 

467 



468 THE NATIONAL DAT. 

" It is not for the host to tell tales of his after-dinner company; but 
the truth of history may be satisfied "without an intimation that our 
guests paid niggard honors to the jolly god of a milder clime. The ver- 
iest prince of bottle memories would not have quarreled with their 
heel-taps." 

Some of the feats performed by the natives in their kayaks were truly 
remarkable. The process of turning a somersault in the water, boat and 
all, seems an impossible one, but its practicability among the Esquimaux 
is attested by many witnesses. An active male will seize a large stone 
in both hands, and leaning backward, will disappear, to return almost 
instantly, still holding the stone. But this species of aquatic perform- 
ance is hardly more remarkable than the process of catching a seal, and 
is certainly not as dangerous. The former feat is exhibited by the half- 
day for a chew of tobacco or a glass of grog. The latter is dared be- 
cause hunger and the domestic necessity demand it. 

Here at PrSven the parties celebrated the national anniversary in the 
best manner that their limited means permitted. By way of salute, and 
in lieu of gunpowder, the seamen rolled a huge boulder down the cliffs, 
"spliced the main brace by means of egg-nog, made from the eggs of the 
eider-duck, and wound up with a ball in which some of the Esqui- 
maux belles figured conspicuously. Putting to sea on the 5th, they suc- 
ceeded in working their way northward, and on the 13th thev encoun- 
tered their old acquaintance, the Prince Albert, from which they had 
been separated in the besetment of the month before. This vessel, though 
under a new command, was back more once upon the same mission as 
themselves. The two expeditions kept together for three weeks. By 
watching every opening in the ice they managed to make a few miles of 
northing every day, which brought them early in August to the dreaded 
Melville Bay, over which the " Devil's Thumb " kept solitary guard. 
Here they found the ice more impracticable than the year before. The 
icebergs came down, threatening them with instant destruction. The 
leads were all closed, and solid ice blocked up the passage across the bay. 
The British abandoned the idea of succeeding in that direction, and 
proceeded to the south, there to continue their unsuccessful search. 



HOME WARD. 469 

Still the Americans held grimly to their purpose, and remained 
mooi-ed to a land-floe waiting for the ice to part and allow them to pass 
to the west. But no opening came ; the way was still blocked. The 
season was not so favorable as the former one had been. Only a few 
weeks of summer remained, and to remain in the ice of Baffin's Bay 
another nine months was not to be thought of as a wise course for the 
scurvy-riddled crew. The commander, therefore, wisely referring to a 
clause in his formal instructions counseling him " to spend only one win- 
ter in the Arctic regions," resolved to set sail for home at the first 
opportunity. Watching their chance, they one day noticed a lead to the 
south, in the tremendous ice-barrier. Toward this they steered, and 
entered, in awe-struck silence, the scanty passage opened before them. 
Any closing of this frightful mouth would have been instantly fatal, but 
it was passed in safety, and the escape from the "Devil's Nip" was a 
proverb among them for many days. 

Once pointed for home, not much remains to tell of the rest of the jour- 
ney. They touched at Upernavik, Disco, and Holsteinberg, and enjoyed 
the hospitality of the kindly Danes and Esquimaux, who were well- 
bred enough not to laugh at their ragged, distressed appearance. With 
faces sharpened by the pinchings of hunger and cold, beards unshorn, 
and limbs tottering from sheer weakness, they were, as Kane expresses 
it, "an uncouth, shabby, and withal, snobby-looking set of varlets." 
Their own flimsy wardrobes had become exhausted, and they had been 
obliged of late to resort to domestic tailoring. " I wish," says Kane, 
" that some of my soda-water-in-the-morning friends could see me per- 
spiring over a pair of pants. We do our own sewing, clothing our- 
selves cap-a-pie y and I am astonished in looking back upon my dark 
period of previous ignorance, to feel how much I have learned. I won- 
der whether your Philadelphia tailor knows how to adjust, with a ruler 
and a lump of soap, the seat of a pair of breeches." 

But the trials and privations to which for over a year they had been 
exposed, were soon to end. Leaving Holsteinberg on the 6th of Sep- 
tember, the two vessels were separated in a gale off Cape Farewell. 
After a run of twenty-four days the Advance arrived at New York on 



470 COURSE OF THE DRIFT. 

the 30th of September. The Rescue arrived safely seven days later; the 
greatest gratitude prevailing among all, for their safe deliverance from 
so many dangers of shipwreck, death, and disaster. 

It now remains to speak briefly of certain things that have been, up 
to this point, purposely neglected. In the desire to make the narrative 
continuous and complete, no attempt has been made to state concisely or 
minutely the course of the expedition, nor the geographical results which 
may properly be claimed for it. This, with the indulgence of the reader, 
we will now attempt to do. 

The slightest attention to the geography of North America, will 
make the course of the party, until after leaving Melville Bay, perfectly 
plain to any observer. Not so perhaps, their wanderings after entering 
Lancaster Sound, and the labyrinth of waters which makes the naviga- 
tion of the northern coast of Noi'th America perplexing and dangerous. 
Entering Lancaster Sound according to official instructions, the expedition 
pursued a course almost directly west through Barrow Straits as far as 
Beechey Island, near which place the meeting with the English squad- 
ron took place, and where the discoveries before mentioned were made. 
From here a zigzag course was pursued along the islands on the north 
of Barrow Strait, as far west as Griffith Island, some fifty miles to the 
west of Wellington Channel. The vessels then returned to Wellington 
Channel, where they were beset in September, and where the memorable 
drift began whose principal events have been recorded in the preceding 
pages. The course of the drift during the month of September was almost 
wholly northward, and the upper extremity of the Channel was almost 
reached before the influence of the currents and winds changed the di- 
rection of the ice field in which they floated, and a southward course was 
begun. Back they went, over nearly the same ground that they traveled 
in ascending the channel. Following the course of the immense ice 
prairie which had now accumulated about them, they drifted slowly 
eastward into Baffin's Bay, and thence southeast until, as we have seen, 
they were released, after nine months of drifting, near the coast of 
Greenland. 

In the meantime, in the drift to the northward, certain natural 



AN UNFORTUNATE CONTROVERSY 471 

divisions had been discovered, and received names from the American 
party. These discoveries, while they were of. no great practical value, 
were still supposed, at that time, to be of importance in confirming a 
theory which was gaining ground during the middle of the nineteenth 
century, namely, that about the Pole were land and water of comparative- 
ly mild temperature — perhaps inhabited, and certainly capable of sus- 
taining animal life 

These discoveries were announced in Lieut. De Haven's formal 
report to the Secretary of the Navy, in substance as follows: 

" Between Cornwallis Island (already long since discovered) and a 
large mass of elevated land to the north, was seen a large open channel 
leading to the westward. To this was given the name of ' Maury's 
Channel,' in honor -of the then chief of the Hydrographical Bureau, 
and the National Observatory. The large body of high land seen to 
the north between N. W. and N. N. E., was termed 'Grinnell Land,' 
in honor of the head and heart of the man in whose philanthropic 
mind originated the idea of this expedition, and to whose munificence it 
owes its existence." 

A remarkable peak on the eastern visible extremity of the unknown 
land was termed Mt. Franklin, with obvious fitness. Several other un- 
important discoveries were made; among them a small island which was 
named after Mr. Murdaugh, the acting master of the Advance, and an 
inlet, discovered by Mr. Griffin, the commander of the Rescue, was 
aptly named from its discoverer. 

It is proper to remark in this connection that the matter of pre- 
cedence in the discovery of the so-called Grinnell Land above men- 
tioned, became a subject of unfortunate controversy between English 
and American geographers and explorers. English geographers, in cer- 
tain maps published in the latter part of 1S51, plotted this tract of land 
and named it Prince Albert Land, announcing it as the discovery of 
Capt. Ommaney, confirmed more recently by the explorations of Capt. 
Penny. This map was supplemented by a foot-note mentioning the fact 
of the American claim, and stating that a certain other tract of land 
bearing some 6o° or 70 ° to the westward must have been the Grinnell 



472 THE AMERICAN CLAIM VINDICATED. 

Land announced by the American squadron from that drift of Septem- 
ber, 1S50. The injustice of this course was easily seen from the follow- 
ing facts: Capt. Ommaney was proved to have been a hundred miles 
south of this land at the date on •which he is claimed to have discovered 
it. As the American squadron was only forty miles from it at the time 
its leader first sighted the new coast, and as it was barely visible then, 
disappearing upon the vessels retreating only a few miles to the south, it 
followed that Capt. Ommaney, sixty miles still farther south, could not 
have, as was professed, seen and named this new verge of a possible 
Arctic continent. Again, as the American squadron was well supplied 
with chronometers and other instruments, it was hardly possible that the 
able leader of the expedition should have made an error of 60 °, as the 
English aspirants for precedence and prestige would have attributed to 
him. To be sure, the Americans were carried thither without any 
choice of their own, and it was under circumstances beyond their control 
that they preceded the British party in the matter in controversy ; but, as 
Dr. Kane laconically observes, "They did precede them," and thus, with- 
out doubt, established the claim of discoverers, and the right of designa- 
tion. In bringing forward this discussion, the writer has endeavored not 
to allow natural prejudice to influence him in presenting the facts, and 
he is not conscious of having violated any rule of international etiquette. 
All American geographers, and we are glad to note, some also of Eng- 
lish authorship, continue to give the land in question the American des- 
ignation, thus vindicating, after three decades, the American claim. 




CHAPTER LIU. 

EXPEDITION OF INGLEFIELD IN THE NAVY YARD THE CREW 

ADVERSE INFLUENCES AT FISKERN^ES GREENLAND PIETY 

DEVIL'S THUMB VARIOUS DISCOVERIES NEARLY SHIPWRECKED 

A WATCHFUL BEAR. 

The screw schooner, Isabel, was, it seems, originally fitted out by 
Mr. Donald Beatson for a cruise to the Arctic regions in search of Sir 
John Franklin by way of Behring's Strait. This expedition, however, 
owing to unavoidable difficulties, was abandoned, and the ship, with five 
years' provisions for twelve men, and a small, high pressure engine of 
sixteen-horse power, which had been fitted to drive an Archimedian 
screw, besides having been doubled, strengthened, and covered as far up 
as the heads with galvanized iron, was thrown back upon the hands of 
Lady Franklin, the original owner. It was then offered to the admiralty 
for Arctic service; but their lordships not caring to inaugurate any more 
Arctic expeditions, declined the offer. 

A proposition was then made by Lady Franklin to Commander E. 
A. Inglefield to the effect that he should take the vessel, provide a crew 
and such other details of equipment as the vessel should require, and 
that he should take the provisions now on board, and, joining the squad- 
ron at present in the Arctic regions, deposit with them his provisions, 
and return the same season to England. Capt. Inglefield had little relish 
for being employed merely as a transport captain, but seeing how well 
fitted the vessel was for Arctic cruising, he accepted Lady Franklin's 
liberal offer to give him the ship in compensation for his services, pro- 
viding that he could be allowed to conduct a search in any manner he 
saw fit; provided, also, that he could obtain leave of absence from the 
Lord Admiral, and be allowed to have his vessel fitted up in a govern- 
ment yard. 

473 



474 IN THE DOCK-TARD. 

As he had already expressed his taste and willingness for Arctic 
explorations by volunteering on several previous occasions to join a 
search for Sir John Franklin, and as he further believed that Franklin 
could be found, or that he could be followed over the route which he 
had chosen, he regarded this opportunity as too tempting to be lost; and 
as the admiralty granted him in full the permission he desired, he lost 
no time in acquainting Lady Franklin with his decision. 

With the divers appliances on hand at the navy yard it was a com- 
paratively short task to fix up the little schooner, and with the engine 
thoroughly examined, provisions well stored, sails duly repaired, and 
ship considerably strengthened, together with the addition of sledges, 
tents, traveling and cooking apparatus, and innumerable articles which 
many friends found the means of supplying, Inglefield was ready to move 
out of the basin on the 4th of July, 1S52. 

After taking leave of his friends, the Lord Admiral and Lady 
Franklin, Inglefield caused his vessel to be towed out of the harbor, and 
was soon speeding up along the coasts of England and Scotland. His 
plan of search was briefly as follows : His first object was to arrive at 
Whale, Smith and Jones' Sounds by either the eastern or western shores, 
ascending as he might find that the state of the ice would enable him to 
do, and having thoroughly examined these sounds, bays, inlets, or what- 
ever they turned out to be (for there was then no accurate knowledge 
of them), he would, if not forced to winter so far north, proceed aown 
the western coast of Baffin's Bay, exploring its shores as far south as 
Labrador. 

In order that he might intelligently communicate with the natives, 
he hoped, at Holsteinberg, or some other Danish town, to procure an 
interpreter, and with this in view he had taken with him a letter to the 
Danish authorities of Greenland, requesting for him their assistance, 
should he be in need of it. 

If the lateness of the season or any other cause should oblige him to 
winter at Lancaster Sound or north of it, he hoped by means of his 
sledges to be able to communicate with the royal squadron, as well as 
to make a careful search of all the deep inlets of Baffin's Bay; and thus, 



THE CREW. 475 

even if unsuccessful in the great object of his voyage, he hoped to settle 
foi-ever the vexed question of the entrance into the Great Polar Basin 
through the so-called Smith's Sound, which before his voyage had never 
been approached nearer than within seventy miles. 

After stopping for their last letters at Peterhead, on the coast of 
Scotland, they steamed away, and were soon out of sight of land. 

The crew and officers who composed this "little band of spirited 
adventurers," as the newspapers spoke of them at the time, numbered 
seventeen, and consisted of two ice-masters and a mate, a surgeon, an 
engineer, a stoker, who was also a blacksmith, two carpenters, a cook, 
and eight able seamen. Of these every one of the officers was a man of 
experience and ability. Dr. Sutherland, the surgeon, was particularly a 
valuable man, having been engaged in the previous Arctic expedition 
under Mr. Penny, and being versed in the sciences a knowledge of 
which would be called into play in the Arctic regions. 

The accommodations of the Isabel were very scanty. " My cabin," 
says Capt. Inglefield, "was not more than six feet square, having a sky- 
light at the top of a kind of trunk, which passed through a storeroom, 
built on the middle of the quarter deck. My btink, or sleeping berth, 
was on the starboard side, four feet above the deck, and could only be 
approached through an aperture in a kind of wooden screen; and certain 
convenient book-shelves and lockers were fitted in all the angles and 
corners, which none but those accustomed to a seafaring life could have 
so ingeniously appropriated. A table two feet by two and a half, was 
fixed against the bulkhead which separated the 'doctor's cabin' from the 
captain's 'stateroom ;' the former something smaller than the latter, the 
bunk the same size, but arranged as the sleeping berths of the doctor 
and Mr. Manson, one of the ice-masters. The engineer's cabin, ' and 
Mr. Abernethy's (the other ice-master), occupied positions on either side 
of the engine-room hatch, so that when steam was up, they enjoyed a 
temperature of ioo° Fahrenheit." 

The boiler and engine were as conveniently placed as possible. It 
was impossible, however, on so small a ship so to arrange the binnacle, 
that the compass should not be disturbed by the presence of so much 



476 FISKERN^ES. 

metal. Indeed, the writer is disposed to attribute the discrepancies in 
Commander Inglefield's results, as afterward determined by Dr. Kane, 
directly to the necessary inaccuracy of the former's instruments. Ingle- 
field himself remarks : " Owing to the amount of iron in the vessel, the 
local attraction was very great. The boiler, engine, screw, its shaft and 
gearing, together with the iron sheathing, were all powerful agents to 
bewilder our magnetic instruments." It will be thus seen that Dr. 
Kane's conclusions (they will be given in a subsequent chapter), how- 
ever arbitrary they may seem, were in reality reasonable, and based upon 
facts which sufficiently explain the discrepancies of Capt. Inglefield. 

A meeting with several English sails, and a severe and lasting gale 
encountered off Cape Farewell, were the principal events of importance 
occurring during the voyage to the first stopping place on the Greenland 
coast. On the 7th of August, as the vessel was keeping in toward some 
islands on account of the heaviness of the sea, some natives were ob- 
served coming off in their light kayaks. It was soon understood that the 
vessel was off Fiskernaes, a Danish settlement; and Capt. Inglefield was 
soon able to verify his position from his instruments. Having taken the 
Esquimaux and their canoes on board, one of them, seemingly more in- 
telligent than the others, proposed to take the ship into an anchorage, 
and, thinking it prudent to stop for the night, Capt. Inglefield yielded to 
his inclination to see the settlement, and proceeded to land in the little 
harbor. So very small was the bay of Fiskernaes, however, that the 
ship grated on a rock in passing, and demolished her rudder. This mis- 
fortune was repaired in a short time, and after righting the ship up pre- 
paratory to her. coming battle with the ice, Inglefield landed to wait on 
the Danish Governor, Mr. Lazzen. Here the greatest hospitality was 
shown him, and although neither the governor nor his secretary could 
speak anything except Danish, some information was gathered of the 
modes of life in these regions. Among other things they found that for 
some reason sledging was not practiced in this bay, but the travel and 
traffic were performed wholly in the water by means of the kayaks, 
and "oomiaks" or woman-boats. The firewood, consisting of willows, 
half an inch in diameter, and scanty at that, was gathered in these 



WmflBBm 









iiif|lll§pI||Pi 




477 



478 GREENLAND PIETT. 

oomiaks. The principal export seemed to be codfish, of which a ship- 
load had been sent away to Denmark only a few days previous. 

Curious to observe the method of worship in this out-of-the-way 
place, Inglefield obeyed the summons of a little bell in the neighbor- 
hood, and took his place in the village church to watch the worshipers as 
they flocked in. 

"Softly, but rapidly, the little meeting-house filled, and then the door 
closed, and an Esquimaux with the most forbidding exterior of any I 
had seen, slowly rose, and with much solemnity gave out a hymn, and in 
a few moments the melodious harmony of many well-tuned voices broke 
forth. I was delighted with the strain, for though not a w ord was in- 
telligible to me, I coidd nevertheless feel that each person was lifting his 
heart to his Maker, and I unconsciously joined in the harmony with words 
which, having been learnt in childhood, now rushed into my mind, and 
bade me mingle them with the hallelujahs of these poor semi-savages. 
* *.*** A sermon followed, and there burst from the preach- 
er's lips a flow of elocution that I have seldom heard equaled ; without 
gesticulation he warmed to his subject till the large drops of perspiration 
fell on the sacred volume, and his tone and emphasis proved that he was 
gifted with eloquence of no ordinary nature." After exchanging court- 
esies with the authorities, by giving and receiving several dinners, the 
party bade a final adieu to the little harbor of Fiskernass and steamed 
away to the north. Capt. Inglefield intended to touch at Holsteinborg, in 
order to take on, if possible, one Adam Beck, a Dane, who had become 
responsible for a report of Franklin's murder. Inglefield desired to 
make him prove his statements by actually visiting the scene of the al- 
leged tragedy, A gale, however, drove the vessel by Holsteinborg 
with such force that the town could not be made, and so the project re- 
ferred to above had to be abandoned. 

It was now resolved to push for Godhaven on Disco Island for the 
purpose of securing dogs and an interpreter. On reaching this port it 
was found that Sir Edward Belcher, who had preceded Inglefield, had 
taken all the dogs there were to spai'e. The governor, however, gave 
Capt. Inglefield a letter to the authorities at Upernavik, directing that 



DEVIL'S THUMB. 479 

his wants should be supplied there. Finding here the mail bags of Sir 
Edward Belcher's squadron, they gladly added their letters to his dis- 
patches, and proceeded to Upernavik. Landing here on the 16th of 
August, they were not long in procuring the things which they needed. 

"A description of this settlement," says Inglefield, " would he quite 
superfluous, for one of these Greenland villages is so exactly the counter- 
part of another, that any one account of their huts and houses would be 
equally suitable to all; two or three wooden houses for the settlers, and a 
few mud huts for the Esquimaux, are the general features of these 
places." 

A stiff southerly breeze soon brought them in sight of the entrance 
to Melville Bay. It was now forty-one days since they left Peterhead, 
and they had reached this point only a few days later than the expedition 
of the previous year, with apparently a better season, unencumbered with 
a consort, and without orders. The Devil's Thumb and Crimson Cliff 
were successively passed, a sharp lookout being kept in the meantime for 
vestiges of wrecks and traces of human life. A wedge of a ship's mast, 
a cask, a cork, and some staves were picked up, and at the time seemed 
worthy of notice with reference to the missing squadron; but, as was 
afterward found, the disasters of the whalers in Melville Bay accounted 
for the presence and condition of these articles. 

After discovering and naming Northumberland Island and Murchison 
Channel, and accurately fixing Hakluyt Islands, discovered but wrongly 
located by Baffin many years before, steam and sail were put on, and the 
vessel sped away to the northward, and Smith's Strait and Sound were 
reached. Here many points of interest were discovered and named. 
The western coast showed at some distance back a high range of moun- 
tains, which were called after His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; 
and those terminating in the most northern point visible, received their 
name from the English Queen, Victoria Head. 

The bay intervening between that and Cape Albert, was named after 
the Princess Marie, then Duchess of Hamilton. Other capes on the west 
shore were called after the Earl of' Camperdown, Col. Sabine, and Miss 
Cracroft, a niece of Sir John Franklin. 



480 VARIOUS DISCOVERIES. 

On the eastern land, the furthest northern point observed was called 
after his Danish Majesty, King Frederick VII., being the most northern 
point of his dominions. The water nearest this point was called after 
Lady Franklin, Franklin Bay, and other capes, bays, gulfs, and moun- 
tains of less importance were designated after distinguished English dig- 
nitaries. As has been seen, Inglefield's locations, especially his repre- 
sentation of the trend of Smith's Strait, were faulty, but the tracing of 
the configuration was mainly correct, and with the new latitude and 
longitude afterward given, the points noted by him did not receive new 
names. 

A violent gale rising soon after Victoria Head was discovered, 
prevented any further progress to the north, and a return to Jones Sound 
was now contemplated. The highest latitude reached by the Isabella 
was, according to Inglefield's reckoning,- 78 30', being farther north 
than any vessel had yet attained in this Sound. As Kane afterward 
found that Inglefield had made the coasts of the strait trend too much to 
the north, it is probable that the latitude reached at this time was less 
than reported by him. 

The ship was now directed along the north coast of Jones Sound, and 
Inglis Peak and Cape Maxwell were successively noticed, and named 
from English personages. After attaining a western longitude of 84 
10', the ship scudded before a gale over to the south shore, and the party 
once more proceeded eastward, surveying and charting the coast as they 
went. 

After reaching the eastern extremity of Jones Sound and nearly suf- 
fering shipwreck on Cape Parker, it was necessary to decide what 
should be their next step; and after deliberation, it was determined to 
risk the chance of being caught by freezing up, and of spending the win- 
ter in the ice, for the benefit that might be conferred on the government 
service, by carrying the surplus stores of provisions and coal to the 
squadron of Sir Edward Belcher, whose provision-ship, the North Star, 
was known to be in the vicinity of Beechey Island. In this case Sir 
Edward might be benefited by Inglefield's discoveries, and on the other 
hand, the latter could carry back to England, which could probably be 



A WATCHFUL BE A J?. 481 

reached before winter, the latest intelligence of the movements of the 
squadron, and of their chances of success. 

Upon reaching Beechey Island, it was found that Sir Edward and 
Capt. Kellett had sailed from that place with their steam-tenders about 
three weeks previously, the former up Wellington Channel and the latter 
to Melville Island; nothing since had been heard of either of them; and 
it was supposed that Sir Edward had gone away into open water beyond 
Parry Strait. The officers" of the North Star could not be induced to 
accept any considerable amount of the stores offered by Inglefield, 
although the fact that he was about to return to England made it pos- 
sible for him to part with the most he had on board. 

Here they showed Inglefield the three graves of Franklin's men, 
which had been discovered by Penny and DeHaven two years previous, 
and told him of the bear-which was said to keep a continuous vigil over 
one of the graves, sitting upon it every night. 

The mail bags being all prepared, and the kind farewells said, the 
Isabella prepared to begin her homeward journey., It was at first in- 
tended to land at Holsteinberg, but Whalefish Islands proving a more 
convenient point, a landing was effected here, and the ship refitted for 
the homeward journey. After a rest of several days, during which 
time a reception and ball, given by the Danish Crown, were enjoyed, 
the party set out for home, where they landed in November, just four 
months from the time of starting. 

Upon arriving in England Capt. Inglefield published an account of 
his adventures, and received the approbation of many public men. 
Although, through causes over which he had no control, his results were, 
many of them, inaccurate, his voyage was still a valuable service to the 
cause of geographical science, and deserves due mention in our list. 



CHAPTER LIV. 

BIOGRAPHY OF KANE EARLY QUALITIES FORMAL EDUCATION IN 

WRETCHED HEALTH DECIDES UPON A LIFE OF CELIBACY HIS 

LOVE-LIFE CRITICISMS. 

It is the misfortune of some men to outlive their reputations, at least 
so far as their noble, worthy features are concerned. On the other hand, 
it has often been observed that real worthiness of character, and even 
genius, have not received full recognition nor due homage until the ear 
of the possessor " has grown too dull to hear." Fortunate is the man 
who, like the subject of our sketch, listens in life to the praise of his 
own heroic and virtuous deeds, and dies with affectionate and honorable 
tributes still offered him on every hand. Admiration for so distinguished 
an American, and a knowledge of his popularity and thorough 
appreciation in every part of America, must be the excuse (though none 
were needed) for giving his biography so large a place in this series of 
narratives. 

Elisha Kent Kane was born on the 3d of February, 1820, on Wal- 
nut St., Philadelphia. In respect to nationality he was descended from 
four distinct ancestral stocks. He numbered as his progenitors the 
Grays, of English, the Van Rensselsers, of Low Dutch, the Leipers, of 
Scotch, and the Kanes, of Irish extraction. His immediate ancestors 
were John K. Kane of Philadelphia, and a daughter of Thomas Leiper, 
all parties being prominent and well-known in the politics and public 
events of the days in which they lived. 

As a child, as a youth, and as a man, Kane exhibited striking qual- 
ities. His muscular and nervous characteristics were such as to fit him 
for all manner of athletic exercises, and in these he especially delighted 
to engage. His freedom and independence of spirit, with his intense 

aversion to arbitrary authority, gave him, in the estimation of prim- 

482 





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DR. E. K. KANE. 



483 



484 EARLY QUALITIES. 

iiive people, the character of a "bad boy," though he really had none 
of the qualities by virtue of which he should have merited this title. 
There was nothing of the hypocrite in his nature, and he scorned to 
resort to those little lying subterfuges which " goodish" boys are apt to 
employ in order to shield themselves from the results of bad behavior. 
His frank and open character surprised the good people of his neigh- 
borhood and acquaintance, who did not interpret him as they grew to 
do afterward; and who, not understanding him at all, chose to ascribe to 
him those qualities which many boys possess. Many incidents of his 
early life well illustrate his manly disinterestedness and generosity. Es- 
pecially did he establish himself as the guardian and protector of his 
younger brothers. One day, when about nine years of age, being at 
school with his little brother much younger, the latter was about to 
suffer a whipping for some slight offense, when Elisha sprang up, ex- 
claiming: "Whip me, don't whip him, he's so little!" The teacher, 
thinking that this was another exhibition of the boy's rebellious spirit, 
said, " I'll whip you too, sir." The struggle which followed showed 
young Kane's notions of justice, although he left the room "with marks 
that required explanation. 

He was of that wiry, nervous physique which enables people to do 
and endure in a manner which surprises not only every one else, but 
oftentimes themselves, also. Commonplace feats he was never satisfied 
to attempt. He must undertake that which was difficult, daring, and in 
his earlier life, many times what was reckless and useless. It was just 
this go-ahead, energetic spirit which enabled him in after years to walk 
over difficulty, and accomplish his undertakings, frequently in the midst 
of untold peril, and in a condition of phvsical weakness amounting al- 
most to prostration. Like many other men who have risen to eminence, 
he did not, in his earliest youth, show a taste for learning, and certainly 
not a fondness for lessons set by teachers, but having chosen to follow a 
given course of action, convinced of its reasonableness or necessity, no 
dislikes, or difficulties, or importunities sufficed to shake him from his 
purpose. 

His father, afterward Judge Kane, was a shrewd lawyer, literateur, 



BEG/ATS ACTIVE LIFE. 485 

and connoisseur in science, and seeing, with his keen penetration, that 
here were occult possibilities, wisely let him choose his course for him- 
self in regard to his formal education. He had intended his son for 
Yale College, and took him to New Haven for entrance, but it was 
here soon discovered that he was already smitten with the heart disease 
which hung about him all his life. The University of Virginia, in pre- 
senting the plan of elective studies, gave more freedom to a youth of 
poor health, and here, for a time, he prosecuted his studies. There was 
nothing peculiar about young Kane's college course except that he man- 
ifested a great delight in the concrete realization of what he got in the 
abstract from books. Geology, chemistry, botany, must all receive body 
and meaning to him by actual examinations on the rocks, in the woods, 
or in the laboratory. Thus, though he did not take a degree, his knowl- 
edge of all the subjects which he investigated was marvelously com- 
plete and thorough. His great command of language, his happy choice 
of words, and his wonderful knowledge of the terminology of the sci- 
ences, are well seen in the descriptions which he has written of his voy- 
ages to the Polar regions. 

Although in wretched health, and without prospect of any change 
for the better, it became necessary for Kane to choose a profession; such 
a temperament, and such activity of mind, could not be satisfied without 
some definite aim. His studies in chemistry, and his thorough insight 
into the methods of scientific investigation, made his subsequent choice 
of the study of medicine a wise one, and at the age of twenty-two he 
graduated in that profession at the head of his class, and with a thesis 
which gave him great celebrity and made him unquestioned authority 
on the subject treated. 

He entered a hospital as senior officer soon after graduation, but it 
was seen that his health demanded a change. He therefore be- 
came a candidate for the position of assistant surgeon of the United 
States navy. Having received this appointment, his life thereafter was, 
to a great extent, a life of travel. With the questions how this suited 
him, and to what results some other manner of life would have led, we 
have nothing to do. We can only record here that, placed as he was, he 



486 LOVE-LIFE. 

made the best of every circumstance, and became the polished scientist 
and brilliant writer that his published works show him to have been. 
Mexico, every part of Europe, many parts of Asia and Africa, most of 
the important islands of both oceans, and, as we have seen, the extrem- 
ity of America, became the scenes of his observation, and their interest- 
ing features received successively the attention of his brilliant and well- 
balanced mind. "Some persons," says Pres. Fairchild, in his Moral 
Philosophy, "without physical health, or foundation for it, live because 
they deem it to be their duty." We are aware of not having quoted 
his words exactly, but this idea of the predominance of the soul over 
the body, of the will over corporal weakness, was embodied truly in 
Kane. He rose from a sick bed to his adventures many times when ris- 
ing seemed indeed a resurrection. 

It is impossible to go into the details of his eventful life up to the 
time of those events with "which this volume has particularly to do. It 
remains, therefore, to mention briefly some matters connected with his 
private life, before continuing the narrative from which this biography 
is an incidental, though necessary digression. 

Kane's great physical weakness had determined him in early man- 
hood to lead a life of celibacy. It is said that as he was one day going 
the rounds of the poor-house hospital in his junior service as physician to 
that institution, he came across a diminutive, squalid pauper, who had 
married rather a comely woman in the house. The senior physician, 
who was with him at the time, asked him what he presumed must be 
the feelings of that woman when she looked upon this disgusting speci- 
men, and reflected that he was her lord and master. To which Kane 
very seriously replied: "It is to save some lady just such thoughts as 
those, that I have determined never to marry." In spite of this deter- 
mination, however, and in spite of his physical infirmities, he proved 
susceptible in after years to the charms of the fair sex. In the latter 
part of 1852 Kane became acquainted with the celebrated Margaret Fox, 
whose name has long been familiar in connection with the "spiritual 
manifestations" which were such a source of wonder and scientific com- 
ment at the time. Although she was but a very young girl at the time 



CRITICISMS. 487 

he first met her, he fell in love with her at first sight, and resolved to 
win and marry her. The remainder of his life was crowded full of af- 
fection and brotherly tenderness. Probably a more devoted couple never 
became engaged than these two, though circumstances were against the 
unalloyed and unbroken enjoyment of each other's society. 

The necessity compelling the Doctor's continued absence as well as 
the precarious condition of his health, prevented their marriage for many 
yeai-s; but this separation resulted in a rich legacy of correspondence 
which indicates more clearly than any other circumstance could do, the 
sincere, pure, noble character of the afFection of each toward the other. 
They were at last married a short time before his death, but the affair 
was so quietly conducted, that many for a time doubted its reality, and 
thus placed the unhappy widow in a most undesirable light before the 
world. It was partly for the purpose of vindicating her own purity and 
that of her sainted dead that she afterward allowed his correspondence 
to be published. His letters reveal a depth and warmth and steadfast- 
ness of afFection, which is rarely if ever excelled. No aspect of a man's 
life so thoroughly reveals his character as the relation which he holds to 
the object of his affections, and for the same reason, in no way does the 
public come so close to a man's inner life as in the correspondence grow- 
ing out of such relation. Thus if there had ever been any doubt of the 
sincerity and purity of Dr. Kane, or her whom he honored with the best 
love of his life, it surely was dispelled upon presenting to the public eye 
the correspondence of his private life. 

Few distinguished persons escape entirely the attacks of calumniators, 
and we find that our hero "was no exception. In his voyage to the Arctic 
regions, certain difficulties in government of the crew arose, the particu- 
lars of which will appear in their proper place. We refer to them here 
for the purpose of showing in what way the charges of injustice brought 
against him, as the commanding officer, had been refuted. His course 
on one of the occasions referred to was strongly condemned after his 
return by certain persons, who, not knowing the circumstances, and 
being natural and chronic croakers, felt called upon to express a gra- 
tuitous opinion upon the subject. A letter from Wm. Morton, one of the 



488 



VINDICATION. 



crew, and a penetrating, sagacious man, fully vindicates the action of the 
Doctor in each of the difficulties which arose. Mutinies were not totally 
unlooked for in such a time and under such circumstances as an Arctic 
famine suggests; and if measures which seemed extreme were resorted 
to, it seems that the Doctor should receive praise for exercising prompt- 
ness and bravery, instead of pursuing a course which would have resulted 
in the disaffection of the whole party. His fame and name are too 
thoroughly established to need exculpation now. The circumstances of 
his last days and of his death may be best given after the narration of 
the adventures whose daring and danger have chiefly given him 
celebrity. 




CHAPTER LV. 

THEORY OF KANE THE POLE OF GREATEST COLD HIS APPOINT- 
MENT AND INSTRUCTIONS HIS PLAN IN MELVILLE BAY 

SMITH'S SOUND GREAT PERIL EXTREME LATITUDE THE 

ADVANCE AT ANCHOR. 

To resume the broken thread. Upon the return of the first Grinnell 
Expedition, the adventures of the voyage were fully set forth in a large 
volume by Dr. Kane, the observer and historian of the party. He, him- 
self, meanwhile, had acquired opinions of his own upon the subject of 
Franklin's discovery, and the existence of an open Polar Sea. This opinion 
was merely a confirmation of his previous judgment, although hitherto 
unannounced. The extensiveness of his previous researches being well 
known, he was invited upon his return, to deliver a lecture before the 
American Geographical Society, announcing his views and the grounds 
for them. He referred in his lecture to the fact now generally known, 
that the pole of maximum cold is not identical with the North Pole. He 
showed that there are two poles of extreme cold, one for each hemi- 
sphere, — one in Asia and the other in America ; and that each is on the 
8oth parallel. He further observed that the mean temperature of the 
American Pole is several degrees lower than that of the Asiatic Pole — 
being 3^°. 

Extended thought and observation had led him to believe that about 
this pole was an annulus, as it were, or ring of land, of comparatively 
mild temperature, surrounding an open polar sea, which presumably cov- 
ered the northern terminus of the earth's axis. This opinion, shared also 
by other eminent men, was founded upon several significant facts, among 
which was that just mentioned, of the poles of maximum cold, 600 miles 
south of the North Pole. Again, to the north of the furthest point of 

penetration had been seen abundant " frost smoke," always indicative of 

489 



490 INS TR UC TIONS. 

a milder climate, and highly suggestive of open water. Besides this, it 
had been remarked both by Lieut. De Haven and many others that, as 
the North Pole was approached, the evidences of animal life increased. 
This, again, suggested vegetable life as the ultimate means of subsistence. 
Certain facts regarding the currents and winds as observed by Lieut. 
DeHaven, were pertinent to the subject in hand. He announced further as 
his opinion that Franklin had sought and found this supposed open polar 
sea, and that, if found dead or alive, it would probably be upon the limits 
of this hitherto undiscovered water. 

Whether the views of Kane upon these subjects were coincided with 
or not, he was seen by all who heard and knew him to be a person emi- 
nently fitted to conduct an expedition to the Arctic regions, whether for 
the purpose of finding Sir John Franklin or for purposes of scientific in- 
vestigation. He possessed skill, bravery, experience, and great scientific 
knowledge, all of which were qualities essential in the trying scenes im- 
plied in an Arctic voyage. 

Accordingly, in December, 1852, Dr. Kane received the following 
formal message from the Secretary of the Navy: 

" Nov. 27, 1852. 

Sir : — Lady Franklin having urged you to undertake a search for her husband and 
his companions, and a vessel, the Advance, having been placed at your disposition by 
Mr. Grinnell, you are hereby assigned to special duty, for the purpose of conducting 
an overland journey from the upper waters of Baffin's Bay to the shores of the Polar 
seas. 

" Relying upon your zeal and discretion, the Department sends you forth upon an 
undertaking which will be attended with great peril and exposure. Trusting that you 
will be sustained by the laudable object in view, and wishing you success and a safe 
return to your friends, I am respectfully your obedient servant, 

"John P. Kennedy 

He was also formally directed to give his " attention to scientific in- 
quiry;" and "to transmit to the Department when opportunities afforded, 
reports of his progress, and the results of the search." To the enter- 
prise in hand contributions were also received from Mr. George Pea- 
body, noted for his generosity to the London poor. Various scientific 
institutions aided in furnishing the expedition with suitable instruments 



PLAN OUTLINED. 491 

and other articles useful for the expedition. Ten officers and men were 
detailed by the United States Government to accompany the party, and 
these, with seven others specially chosen for the occasion, completed the 
ship's crew. They were not under the laws which govern the United 
States Navy, but they had excellent rules and regulations, which were 
rigidly adhered to throughout all the exigencies of the journey. These 
were, mainly, to be in complete subordination to the officer in command 
or his representative; to use spirituous liquors only when dispensed by 
the special order of the commanding officer; and to abstain habitually 
from profane language. 

Kane's plan had been outlined in his address before the American 
Geographical Society ; and was based upon the theory that the northern 
part of Greenland probably formed part of the annulus which has been 
spoken of as theoretically surrounding the Pole. His general plan, then, 
was to pass up Baffin's Bay to the highest attainable point, and then 
pressing on toward the Pole as far as boats or sledges could carry them, 
examine the coast line for vestiges of the missing party. It was with 
reference to this plan that their simple equipment was chosen. It con- 
sisted of a quantity of rough boards to serve for housing over the vessel 
during the winter, a few small tents, and several carefully built sledges. 

Leaving New York on the 30th of May, 18^3, the ship, in eighteen 
days, had reached Newfoundland, where they received a team of large 
dogs from the governor of the province; and proceeding, without inci- 
dent reached the harbor of Fiskernaers, on the coast of Greenland, July 
12. Here, understanding that both the party and the dogs would re- 
quire fresh meat, and knowing that a skilled hand for this service would 
be necessary, an Esquimaux boy of nineteen, named Hans Christian, 
was secured for trifling wages, and a premium of bread and meat for his 
mother. This boy became very useful to the party, both as caterer to 
the dogs, and as it came to pass, to the party also. Thus the expedition 
proceeded up the coast, stopping, as a matter of course, at the various 
ports, Proven, Lievely, and Upernavik, to procure dogs and clothing, 
and establish a friendly feeling among the natives and resident Danes. 
Going on among the dangerous fogs and shoals, Melville Bay was 



492 A GALE. 

reached, and preparations were made to strike out to the northward and 
Smith's Sound. 

After entering Smith's Sound Kane deposited several caches and 
erected several cairns for the double purpose of supplying them with 
food if obliged to traverse that way again, and of guiding any who 
might follow on their track. Throughout all the journey up this pas- 
sage the brig was in the most imminent peril. On one occasion the vessel 
was moored to an iceberg for the night, and was supposed to be in a po- 
sition of safety, when suddenly" the water about them began to be cov- 
ered with pieces of ice as large as a walnut, and larger. There was 
barely time to put off from the berg before it fell to atoms with a crash, 
lashing the ocean into foam for many yards about. Thus capricious did 
they find the ice of Smith's Sound. 

Working their way up with difficulty, they had reached, on August 
19, the extreme latitude of 78 °. Here an event occurred which modi- 
fied effectually their whole future journey. Indications of a gale ap- 
proaching induced the commander to moor the ship as securely as possi- 
ble, and await the result. Three strong cables were employed in this 
service, and it was hoped that by thus apparently fastening, danger or 
disaster, at least, might be averted. The gale arose, until the second day 
the straining of the cables was intense. The six-inch hawser, the whale- 
line, and the ten-inch manila successively parted, with reports like 
musketry, leaving the vessel and her imperiled crew to the mercy of the 
wind and the floating ice. For reasons given before, and sufficiently 
obvious, we quote the scene in Dr. Kane's own graphic language : 

" Ahead of us, farther to the north, we could see the strait still grow- 
ing narrower, and the heavy ice-tables grinding up and clogging it be- 
tween the shore-cliffs on one side and the ledge on the other. There 
was but one thing left for us : To keep in some sort the command of the 
helm, by going freely where we must otherwise be driven. We allowed 
her to scud under a reefed fore topsail; all hands waiting the enemy, as 
we closed, in silence. 

" At seven in the morning we were close onto the piling masses. 
We dropped the heaviest anchor with the desperate hope of winding 



SAVED BT AN ICEBERG 493 

the brig; but there was no withstanding the ice torrent which followed 
us. We had only time to fasten a spar as a buoy to the chain, and let 
her slip. So went our best bower. 

"Down we went upon the gale again, helplessly scraping along a lee 
of ice seldom less than thirty feet thick; one floe measured, by a line as 
we tried to fasten to it, more than forty. I had seen such ice only once 
before, and never in such rapid motion. One upturned mass rose above 
our gunwale, smashing in our bulwarks, and depositing half a ton in a 
lump upon our decks. Our little brig bore herself, through all this wild 
adventure, as if she had a charmed life. 

" But a new enemy came in sight. Directly in our way, just beyond 
the line of floe-ice against which we were alternately sliding and 
thumping, was a group of huge bergs. We had no power to avoid them; 
the only question was whether we were to be dashed in pieces against 
them, or whether they might not offer us some protection from the storm. 
But as we neared them we perceived that they were at some distance 
from the floe's edge, and separated from it by an interval of floe water. 
Our hopes rose, and the gale drove us toward the passage and into it; 
and we were ready to exult, when, from some unexplained cause, proba- 
bly from an eddy of the wind against the lofty ice walls, we lost our 
headway. Almost k at the same moment we saw that the bergs were not 
at rest; that, with a momentum of their own, they were bearing down 
upon the other ice, and that we were fated to be crushed between the 
two. 

"Just then a broad sconcepiece, or low, water-washed berg, came 
driving up from the southward. The thought flashed upon me of one of 
our escapes in Melville Bay ; and as the sconce moved rapidly alongside 
of us, McGary managed to plant an anchor on its slope, and hold onto 
it by a whale line. It was an anxious moment. Our noble tow-horse, 
whiter than the pale horse that seemed to be pursuing us, hauled us 
bravely on, the spray dashing over his windward flanks, and his fore- 
head tearing up the lesser ice as if in scorn. The bergs encroached upon 
us as we advanced; our channel narrowed to a width of perhaps forty 
feet; we braced the yards to clear the impending ice wall. * * * 



494 HEROIC CONDUCT. 

We passed cleai", but it was a close shave — so close that our port water 
boat would have been crushed had we not taken it from the davits — and 
found ourselves under the lee of a berg in a comparatively open lead. 
Never did heart-tried men ^acknowledge with more gratitude their mer- 
ciful deliverance from a wretched death." 

Thus the narrative continues; a long and thrilling account of narrow 
escapes from being Crushed in the mountains of ice. Kane goes on : 

" During the whole of the scenes I have been describing, I could not 
help being struck b}' the composed and manly demeanor of my comrades. 
The turmoil of ice under a heavy sea often conveys the impression of dan- 





smith's sound. 

ger when the reality is absent; but in this fearful passage, the parting of 
our hawsers, the loss of our anchors, the abrupt crushing of our stoven 
bulwarks, and the actual deposit of ice upon our decks, would have tried 
the nerves of the most experienced ice man." 

It must not be supposed that during all this terrific scene no efforts 
were put forth by the men to anchor the brig and avert the hazard of the 
perilous ice-strait. Repeated efforts were made to grapple the passing 
ice-blocks, and in such efforts four of the crew became separated from the 
brig and had to be rescued in a boat after the gale subsided. Mr. Bon- 
sall, one of the ice-masters, avoided being crushed by a perilous leap to a 
floating fragment, and like intrepidity was exhibited on all hands. 



TRACKING. 495 

The gallant little brig, however, was not yet out of danger. The im- 
mense accumulations of ice about her, borne on to the north by the rising 
gale, began, to the horror of the crew, to force her square over the berg 
in whose lee she had landed. As she rose slowly on its rugged surface, 
impelled by the tremendous momentum of the moving floe behind, the 
suspense as to the result became oppressive. Sometimes a shock more 
sudden and severe than the rest would turn her on her side, and threaten 
to precipitate crew and all into the seething chaos of ice and water. As 
she descended its windward slope and quietly took her place among the 
broken rubbish, the excitement of the crew was marked by silence rather 
than exclamations; they were too thankful to speak. 

It was not till the 22d of August that this terrible storm abated suffi- 
ciently to end the period of inaction consequent upon the adventures just 
described. As soon as possible, however, all hands took hold of the tow- 
line and " harnessed like mules on a canal," proceeded by " tracking " to 
drag the vessel toward a place of supposed safety. After proceeding in 
this way for some miles, a point was reached where at least, temporary 
security could be relied on, and the commander and officers were enabled 
to look about them and plan for the future. 

They had now attained a latitude of nearly 79°, being further north 
than any of their predecessors except Parry, in his tramp oh foot on the 
island of Spitzbergen. This element of success at least, was theirs. 

The bold commander was hardly satisfied to pass the winter without 
first attaining a more northern point, but young ice was forming; snow- 
storms were becoming frequent; the growing severity of the weather, 
added to what they had already passed through, was beginning to tell in 
ts depressing effect upon officers and crew. A generous regard for the 
feelings and opinions of his officers led Kane to consult with them upon 
the question of their future action. All, with one exception, were of 
opinion that all attempts to secure a more northern position were unwise 
and useless. Dr. Kane, however, urged upon them the necessity of 
making a point from which it would be convenient at least to dispatch 
sledging parties, and proposed to proceed by warping, until such a place 
could be arrived at. To this all agreed, and entered heartily into the 



496 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 



work of conveying the vessel to a desirable harbor. After making a 
few miles by availing themselves of wind and tide and lever, a bay was 
reached. Here Dr. Kane determined to leave the vessel until he should 
explore the northern region in a boat and determine the practicability of 
further advance with their well-tried brig. Fitting out a boat with the 
suggestive name of the Forlorn Hope, the commander, with seven 
trusty and able men, started on the 29th on their tour of investigation. 





ARCTIC AQUATICS. 



CHAPTER LVI. 

KANE LEADS A BOAT AND SLEDGE EXPEDITION A GREENLAND 

RIVER THE EIGHTIETH PARALLEL "THE SAME ICE SURROUNDS 

HER STILL" PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER A CACHE PARTY 

ACCIDENTS AT THE BRIG DIFFICULTIES OF ARCTIC OBSERVA- 
TION HANS, THE HUNTER RETURN OF A WARM FRIEND 

A PRELIMINARY SURVEY AN UNEXPECTED RETURN KANE 

SAVES THE PARTY. 

Passing on through the narrow strait opening in front of them, the 
little party was able by breaking the young ice which kept constantly 
forming, to make about seven miles on the first day. Cold and wet from 
the necessities of this doubtful navigation, night was eagerly welcomed. 
Twenty-four hours' absence from the ship brought them to the end of 
their boating. The ice-pack had closed with the belt, and was thus on 
one side and in front of them, while on the other side was the ice- 
girt shore. Advance with the boat was impossible. The carefully 
packed sledge was therefore taken out and set up, and the boat snugly 
stowed away in a convenient gorge. The sledge was now laden with 
a few necessaries, and the march again proceeded. Interesting notes 
were taken of the topography and glacial appearance of the rugged re- 
gion over which their path lay, and many an amusing and exciting inci- 
dent served to relieve the monotony of the journey. Its difficulty may 
be conceived from the fact that five days' absence only found them foiiy 
miles from the brig. The tortuous course which it was necessary to 
pursue with the sledge "was a great drawback to the commander in his 
haste to make latitude, and he determined to leave the sledge and pro- 
ceed on foot. The undesirable feature of this method was, that not 
enough food could be carried. The average weight of the men's burden 

was thirty-five pounds, including a quantity of pemmican and one buffalo 

497 



493 



A GREENLAND RIVER. 



robe apiece, and even this was found to weigh them down. It was 
found, however, that greater progress could be made in this way than 
with the whole outfit, and one day they succeeded in making twenty-four 
miles. 

A river was at last reached which emptied into a large bay, and was 
..presumed by Kane to be the largest river of North Greenland. 

" Here, " says Kane, "protected from the frost by the infiltration of 
the melted snows, and fostered by the reverberations of solar heat from 
the rocks, we met a flower-growth, which, though drearily Arctic in its 




GLACIER SEEN BY KANE. 



type, was rich in variety and coloring. Amid festuca and other tufted 
grasses twinkled the purple lychnis and the white star of the chick- 
weed, and not without its pleasing associations, I recognized a single 
hesperis, the Arctic representative of the wall-flowers of home." 

After reaching a rocky headland which overlooked a wide expanse 
extending far beyond the 8oth parallel, this was made the final point of 
reconnoissance, and the party proceeded back to the brig. Kane an- 
nounced to the waiting men that he had discovered no spot better suited 
for winter quarters than the bay in which the brig was now anchored, 



AN ARCTIC OBSERVATORY. " 499 

and gave instructions to tow her between two small islands. Here, then, 
she was anchored amidst the ice; destined to be her resting place for a 
long time indeed, for "the same ice surrounds her still." 

The little party in Rensselaer Harbor, as their retreat was called, 
now found winter rapidly approaching. The old ice was soon so firmly 
cemented in the bay by that which was newly formed, that it would 
bear sledging parties which coasted out around the brig from time to 
time. Much was to be done, and done at once; for the sun could not be 
depended on much longer. The mountain range to the south would ob- 
scure him two weeks before his regular time for disappearance. The 
hold was to be unloaded of its supplies, which were to be placed in the 
storehouse upon Butler's Island. This was done by means of loaded 
boats, through a channel which must be recut every morning. A com- 
fortable kennel must be" erected for the canine rabble, which, however, 
would not occupy it. Wild as they were, they preferred to sleep on the 
snow in calling distance of the men. A deck-housing had to be planned 
and built, care being taken to make as warm as possible their winter resi- 
dence. An observatory was constructed of stone, which the men. hauled 
across the ice on sledges. There remained, moreover, to plan and estab- 
lish provision depots for the convenience and safety of exploring parties 
as they should now and then be sent into the interior. The food to be 
deposited in these places was chiefly pemmican, and as little or no game 
had been seen in Smith's Sound, it was necessary to freshen their salt 
provisions, which, in their isolated condition and tendency to scorbutic 
disease, it would not do to use. Accordingly, a fresh water lake having 
been found in the interior of one of the islands, poles of the meat sus- 
pended by strings were brought successively to receive the freshening 
baptism. The instruments, also, must be placed and adjusted. The 
magnetic observatory was duly equipped with its magnetometer and dip 
instruments. The transit and telescope were adjusted in the observatory 
proper. The tide gauge was upon the brig itself, and the meteorolog- 
ical observatory was placed in the open field, duly protected. So sensi- 
tive were some of the thermometei's, that when they indicated 40 or 50 
below zero, the mere approach of an observer would cause a change. 



500 RAVAGES OF BEARS. 

One of them could be read to the tenth of a degree. So the prepara- 
tions for the winter's observations went on, as the sun in his daily cir- 
cuit sank lower and lower. 

In the meantime, a depot party had been sent out, with several hun- 
dred pounds of pemmican to deposit in three places. This party de- 
parted on the 20th of September, and did not return for twenty-eight 
days. During their absence several curious and nearly dangerous inci- 
dents occurred to the little party remaining at the brig. For some time 
the hold had been seriously troubled with rats. An attempt to burn 
them out with a delectable compound of brimstone, arsenic and burnt 
leather had failed, and it was determined to asphyxiate them with car- 
bonic acid gas. A quantity of charcoal was burned below, and the 
hatches securely closed. The cook with unfortunate temerity stole below 
to attend to cuisine duties, and was hauled forth from the deadly element 
more dead than alive. About the same time, Dr. Kane, suspecting that 
something below was on fire, went down, and he, too, was forcibly ex- 
tricated from death by suffocation. The fire proved to be on the deck, 
and was only quenched with the greatest difficulty. Several days after a 
dog was observed to have symptoms of hydrophobia, and was quickly 
dispatched by a rifle. This circumstance suggested a horrible danger not 
before thought of. 

On the iSth of October the exploring party returned and gave a full 
report of their proceedings. They had with great pains, and often with 
great difficulty, executed the commission upon which they had been sent. 
Their chief care was to leave the provisions in suitable places, and to 
secure them from the invasions of the polar bear, which is very pene- 
trating and sagacious, and generally destroys what stores of this kind he 
does not consume. In spite of their care in this regard, they found on 
returning along their track that one of their caches was almost com- 
pletely demolished. They had been wet to the skin, and exposed to the 
greatest peril from cracking glaciers, and from the extreme cold. 

The sun at last disappeared, and the intense cold of an Arctic winter 
came on. Some of the problems and difficulties presenting themselves 
in this frigid solitude, are thus shadowed by Kane : "Fireside astronomers 




501 



502 INTENSE COLD. 

can hardly realize the difficulties in the way of observations at such low 
temperatures. The mere burning of the hand from frost is obviated by 
covering the metal with chamois-skin, but the breath and even the 
warmth of the face and body, cover the sextant arc and glasses with a 
fine hoar frost. Though I had much clear weather, I barely succeeded 
by magnifiers in reading the verniers. It is. moreover, an unusual feat 
to measure a base-line in the snow at fifty degrees below freezing. 

" The great difficulty is to keep up a cheery tone among the men. 
Poor Hans has been sorely homesick. Three days ago he bundled up 
his clothes and took his rifle to bid us all good-bye. It turns out that 
besides his mother there is another one of the softer sex at Fiskernaes 
that the boy's heart is dreaming of. He looked as wretched as any lover 
of a milder clime. I hope I have treated his nostalgia successfully, by 
giving him first a dose of salts, and secondly, promotion. He now has 
all the dignity of henchman. He harnesses m} r dogs, builds my traps, 
and walks with me on my ice-tramps; and, except hunting, is excused 
from all other duty. He is really attached to me, and as happy as a fat 
man ought to be." 

The reader would not care for the details of this somewhat monotonous 
night and winter. The most striking feature was the unexampled cold 
which -was experienced about the ist of February. The spirit ther- 
mometers indicated a temperature of 67 below zero, or 99 below the 
freezing point. " Spirit of naphtha froze at — 54°, and oil of sassafras at 
— 49°. The oil of wintergreen was in a flocculent state at — 56 , and 
solid at — 63 ° and— 65 °." Every expedient was tried that could be 
thought of to relieve the dreary desolateness of the scene. Checkers, 
chess, cards, and other games were introduced, and served for a time to 
enable the crew to forget their unpleasant surroundings. An Arctic 
newspaper was projected and successfully managed, some of the best 
articles being from the forecastle. The vignette of this novel journal 
was a picture of a ship fast in the ice, and its motto : "In teiiebris servare 
fidemP 

But the longest night has an end. The sun gave promise of his 
coming by crimson bands shooting up from the horizon, and growing in 



RETURN OF SLEDGERS. 503 

brightness and magnitude with each successive day. February brought 
them momentary glimpses of his glory, and March gave them day itself 
— a long needed tonic. " It was," says Kane, " like bathing in perfumed 
water." The ambitious leader began to prepare for an extended trip on 
sledges to the north and east. Of his fine stock of Newfoundland and 
Esquimaux dogs, only six remained; the excessive cold and the absence of 
light had brought on melancholia and inaction, which, without the mental 
stimulants with which men are wont to overcome their complaints, 
quickly overcame them. But a new sledge was built, suited more fully 
to the capabilities of that portion of the faithful pack which remained 
The coming of the sun was not attended at first with an increase of 
temperature. Throughout March and later the thermometer indicated 
— 40 , making travel abroad dangerous to the inexperienced in Arctic 
weather. But Dr. Kane felt that he had not yet accomplished his pur- 
pose, and he was anxious with that anxiety which ever characterizes the 
true scientist, to extend his observations. A party for preliminary search 
was, with some difficulty, organized and sent out. This party was to be 
supplemented after a time by the exploring party itself, which was to 
include Dr. Kane, and was intended to* make important additions to the 
already rich results of the expedition. 

The pi'eliminary party had been absent eleven days, and preparations 
were nearly complete to follow it, when an event occurred which gave 
an unexpected color to their projected expedition. 

" We were at work cheerfully sewing away at the skins of some moc- 
casins by the blaze of our lamp, when, toward midnight, w r e heard the 
noise of steps above, and the next instant Sontag, Ohlsen and Petersen 
came down into the cabin. Their manner startled me even more than 
their unexpected appearance on board. They were swollen, haggard, and 
scarcely able to speak. 

" Their story was a fearful one. They had left their companions in 
the ice, risking their own lives to bring us the news. Brooks, Baker, 
Wilson, and Pierce, were all lying frozen and disabled ; where, they 
could not tell. Somewhere in among the hummocks, to the north and 
east. It was drifting heavily around them when they parted. Irish Tom 



504 RESCUE OF THE PARTY. 

had staid by to feed and care for the rest, but the chances were sorely 
against them. It was vain to question them further. They had evi- 
dently traveled a great distance, for they were sinking with fatigue and 
hunger, and could hardly be rallied enough to tell tbe direction in which 
they had come." 

Here, as usual, Kane's kindness, promptness, and executive ability was 
interposed, and saved the party. A sledge was made ready, Ohlsen placed 
upon it securely wrapped in furs, and an immediate departure made. The 
temperature was 76 ° degrees below freezing. For sixteen hours they 
struggled on to a place acknowledged by Ohlsen to be unfamiliar to him. 
Kane continues: " Rushing ahead of tbe party, and clambering over 
some rugged ice-piles, I came to a long level floe, which I thought might 
have attracted the eyes of weary men in circumstances like our own. It 
was a light conjecture, but it was enough to turn the scale, for there was 
nothing else to balance it. 

" I gave orders to abandon the sledge and disperse in search of foot- 
marks. We raised our tent; placed our pemmican in cache, except a 
small allowance for each man to carry on his person, and poor Ohlsen, 
now just able to keep his feet, was liberated from his bag." Halt was 
impossible, as, with the thermometer at 80 ° below freezing it required 
brisk exertion to keep from perishing. The men were ordered to spread 
out so as to multiply the chances of discovery, but kept nervously clos- 
ing up as if in fear even of so much solitude. Several were seized with 
severe trembling fits, and Dr. Kane fainted twice from the effect of the 
exposure. Finally, after an unbroken march of twenty-one hours a tent 
was discovered which proved to be that of their unfortunate comrades. 
The welcome which greeted the rescuing party nearly overcame the 
stoutest heart of them all. 

The tent, the sick, and all that could be carried, was loaded on to the 
sledge, and preparations made to depart for the brig„ The load, when 
complete, weighed eleven hundred pounds. 

The journey homeward was made amid the most fearful suffering 
that can be described. The "sleepy comfort" of freezing which had hith- 
erto been treated as a mere sentiment by most of the men, was now real- 



DEATH OF THE SUFFERERS. 505 

ized in good earnest. The strongest men came to Kane asking permis- 
sion to sleep. "They were not cold now; only tired and sleepy." Kane 
tried the result of three-minute naps by turns, and thought the expedient 
upon the whole useful. The Doctor and a single man went on ahead to 
the tent and cache left the day before, in order to prepare some hot food 
for the rest. 

" I cannot tell," says Kane, "how long it took us to make the nine 
miles, for we were in a strange sort of stupor, and had little apprehen- 
sion of time. It was probably about four hours. We kept ourselves 
awake by imposing on each other a continued articulation of words. 
They must have been incoherent enough! I recall these hours as among 
the most wretched I have ever gone through." 

The brig was at last reached, most of the men being in a half-deliri- 
ous state, and having a confused recollection of what had taken place. 
In spite of the prompt and efficacious treatment by Dr. Hayes, the limbs 
of several of the party had to be amputated, and two sufferers died. It 
was four days before Dr. Kane was able once more to record passing 
events, and perform the other functions of his office. 




CHAPTER LVII. 

VISIT FROM ESQUIMAUX NATIVE DISHONESTY A JOURNEY TO HUM- 
BOLDT glacier — tennyson's monument — kane's strength 

FAILS MORAL POWER OF KANE HAYES 5 EXPEDITION MORTON 

DISCOVERS AN ALLEGED POLAR SEA. 

Within a week after the return of the unfortunate party described in 
our last chapter, the brig was favored by a visit from Esquimaux — the 
first yet met in this extreme latitude. Almost before the ship's company 
were aware of it, they were surrounded by a swarthy crowd conveyed 
thither on peculiar looking sledges drawn by handsome dogs. Picket- 
ing their teams by means of their lances, they were ready to treat with 
the commander. Dr. Kane singled out a burly looking fellow a head 
taller than himself, and made motions for him to come forward. At first 
only this one was allowed to come on board, but at last he was permitted 
to signal the rest. These were hospitably received, and a feast was 
spread before them. As food, however, they preferred gorging them- 
selves on walrus- meat rather than eating the good, wheaten bread and 
loaf sugar which were set before them in abundance. Many things on 
board the ship greatly astonished and amused them — among them the 
coal, which presented to them a strange consistency. They were al- 
lowed to sleep in the hold, and seemed much pleased with their night's 
entertainment. In the morning a treaty was made between the two par- 
ties, which provided that the Esquimaux should furnish them with blub- 
ber, and rent them their dogs and sledges for proposed expeditions. 
Kane had heard too much of the versatility of the Esquimaux mind to 
be surprised when he found that the treaty was not kept. Not only did 
the party never return, but several articles of value about the ship and store- 
house were found to be missing. Their disappearance could only be 

traced to the greed and dishonesty of the savages. From this time, how- 

506 



HUMBOLDT GLACIER. 507 

ever, they were visited by various parties of the Esquimaux, with whom 
they established amicable relations, and whom in the sufferings and priva- 
tions of later days they came to regard as friends and fellows. 

April was now about to close, and the little time allowed by the 
Arctic summer for safe traveling must be used to the best advantage. 
Accordingly, a journey to the great glacier of Humboldt to the north- 
east was planned by Kane, and the officers and crew were soon busy 
with the little details of their individual preparations. Kane himself 
was occupied in becoming expert in the use of the dog-whip, the only 
means of guidance in canine locomotion. He had now a smart team of 
seven dogs, four bought of the visiting Esquimaux and the remaining 
three of his old stock. These he was busy training every day as long 
as his strength would permit. He remarks that one must be able to em- 
ploy both strength and exceeding dexterity, or else give up the idea of 
driving dogs. It is necessary to be able to hit any clog in the team in 
any place — ear, nose, or hoof. The efficacy of a successful hit is attested 
at once by a dismal howl and accelerated speed. " The Society for 
Preventing Cruelty to Animals," says Kane, " would have put me in 
custody if they had been near enough ; but, thanks to a merciless whip 
freely administered, I have been dashing along twelve miles in the last 
hour, and am back again; harness, sledge, and bones, all unbroken." 

The party chose April 27 as the* occasion of starting. Two sledges, 
equipped with all that a varied experience in the frigid zone suggested, 
constituted their conveyance. Kane hoped, by the help of the provision- 
caches deposited along the route during the previous autumn, to be able 
to reach a higher point on the Greenland coast than had yet been at- 
tained. Indeed, he surmised that he might gain a point sufficiently north- 
ward to enable him to discover whether Greenland was connected with 
North America, and thus was, in geographical parlance, a great penin- 
sula, or whether it was sufficiently isolated to give it the character, and 
justify the name of island. 

Various points along the coast were successively reached and named, 
and great care taken to project the configuration upon carefully wrought 
maps. A wonderful column of green stone, standing solitary in a pic- 



508 KANE'S STRENGTH FAILS- 

turesque nook, was called " Tennyson's Monument." At length a 
sight was gained of the Great Glacier. Here was to be seen the ana- 
logue of the river systems of America and Asia. The snows of Green- 
land's almost perpetual winter descend into this immense basin with all 
the leisurely dignity of Mature, and seeking every fiord and recess in their 
majestic course, fill them with minor streams, which, cropping out into 
the sea, furnish the icebergs, the terror of northern navigators. The 
bulk of this huge stream flows on, pouring out its " frozen torrent," at 
last into unexplored Arctic waters. 

It was a source of the greatest annoyance to the party, now far from 
the brig, to find that the stores en cache, had all been destroyed by the 
polar bear; through no fault, however, of the officers to whom had been 
intrusted the service of depositing them the fall before. Substantial 
cairns had been erected over the provisions, consisting of stones requir- 
ing the strength of three men to put them in jilace. The bears, with 
their immense strength had pushed the stones aside, and shivered the 
barrels containing the pemmican and alcohol into atoms. Thus failing 
to replenish their exhausted stores, their progress was considerably 
embarrassed. 

The delicate health of Dr. Kane has been referred to, in previous 
pages. Overcome with the great requirements of the occasion, he sank 
just as he was taking observations upon the ice river described above. 
Only the tender nursing of five of his best men availed to save his life 
till the brig could be reached. The narrative of Dr. Hayes, who acted 
as recorder during Kane's sudden and severe illness, says that he was 
brought on board between his men, apparently in a dying condition. His 
symptoms were dropsical effusion, night-sweats and delirium, and Dr. 
Hayes' diagnosis supposed him to be suffering from scurvy and typhoid 
fever combined. For several days he fluctuated between life and death; 
but finally rallied enough to plan once more the schedule of coming 
operations. 

Here, again, is observed the principle referred to in the biography of 
Dr. Kane — the influence exercised over disease by a determined state of 
the mind. Two of Kane's men, physically abler and stronger than he> 



HATES' EXPEDITION. 509 

and with symptoms no worse than his at first, had succumbed to death 
in spite of the best care and medical treatment that could possibly be 
given them. But the genius of Kane seemed to comprehend the fact 
that the safety of the party was conditioned upon his own ability to 
direct. He was, in fact, without being ostentatious, a philanthropist in 
a very real and practical sense. So, with a strength that seemed to be 
and was superhuman, he clung to life and rose to be again the moving 
spirit of his party. It may be remarked in passing, that in his medical 
practice Dr. Kane had strong faith in the uses of moral power in func- 
tional diseases. His own case had led him to be somewhat skeptical 
with regard to the offices of medicine; and he was loth to confess the 
direct action of any remedy, though, if the credulousness or superstition 
of any patient required it, he had abundant expedients to disguise his 
real opinion. For example, he judged at one time that his scurvy 
patients needed simply a diet of vegetables. They, however, shrank 
from the olive-oil and raw potatoes offered them.. Whereupon he made 
a nauseous-looking compound from the same materials and dignified it 
with the name of medicine, which was swallowed with the desired effect. 
Their faith saved them. 

Although by no means satisfied with his tour to the northeast (for 
he had hoped to reach the north coast of Greenland), Dr. Kane felt that 
his operations must now be conducted in another direction. Capt. Ingle- 
field, an account of whose voyage appears in another chapter, had cal- 
culated inaccurately the trend of the coast on both sides of Smith's Strait. 
This was shown by Kane's theodolite, which indicated a disagreement 
with Inglefield's results of 6o° angular measurement. It was thought 
necessary to cfoss Smith's Strait to the western side, locate more 
accurately the Cape Sabine of Capt. Inglefield, and compare the con- 
figuration of the coast to the north as laid down by him with their own 
reckoning at that point. Dr. Hayes was chosen for this service. He 
was comparatively fresh, having as yet undertaken no journey, and Wil- 
liam Godfrey, one of the sturdiest travelers, was chosen to accompany 
him. It was decided to travel almost exclusively with the aid of the 
dogs — a wise decision, for Dr. Hayes afterward reported encountering 



510 



KENNEDY CHANNEL. 



places which could not have been traversed at all without their valuable 
assistance. 

The little party set out on the 20th of May, and proceeded directly 
across the strait (the ice being solid) to Cape Sabine. Examination dis- 
closed the fact that a channel still to the north of Smith's Strait conveyed 
its waters to some point beyond, and that the broadening of this passage 
was not, as had been supposed, the final receptacle of the waters from 
the south. This channel, when more fully explored, was named Ken- 
nedy Channel. 

The journey abounded 
in incident and thrilling 
experiences. Godfrey, 
the driver, became ex- 
hausted, and was obliged 
to lay up. The harness 
of the dogs b e c a m e 
broken or hopelessly en- 
tangled, and Dr. Hayes 
was compelled to under- 
take part of his journey 
on foot. Upon his return 
he found that the dogs, 
unfed as they were, had 
eaten all of the harness 
within their reach. He himself was stricken with snow blindness, and 
unable to proceed. When at last they were once more able to travel, a 
slice from Godfrey's pantaloons repaired the broken harness, and they 
returned to the ship worn out and sick. They had traveled two hundred 
and seventy miles, and had made many valuable discoveries. 

One of the most important journeys of this season was undertaken by 
Mr. Morton, often mentioned in Kane's narrative as a most faithful and 
trusty man and able voyager. His companion on this occasion was 
Hans, the Esquimaux, whose services proved indispensable. They left 
the brig on the 4th of June and proceeded at once to McGary's Island, 




WM. MORTON. 



MORTON'S ALLEGED OPEN SEA. 511 

where, it will be remembered, was constructed the principal cache of the 
previous year. Here Morton separated from Mr. Bonsall, Mr. McGary, 
and others who had accompanied him thus far, and joined by Hans, pro- 
ceeded northward on the 15th. After he had traveled a considerable 
distance over a solid area, the ice indicating by the cracks a thickness of 
seventy-two feet, he was startled by its growing weakness. It became 
decidedly rotten, and the snow on its surface wet and pulpy. Then the 
reality of the pole of maximum cold, and of a warmer climate beyond, 
burst upon him. It now for the first time occurred to him that a long 
dark band seen to the north, beyond a penetrating cape, was water. 
Climbing an eminence which gave him a full view of the surrounding 
situation, he was rejoiced at the sight of what appeared to him an open, 
extended ocean. 

" It must have been andmposing sight, as he stood at this termination 
of his journey, looking out upon the great waste of waters. Not a speck 
of ice, to use his own words, could be seen. There, from a height of 400 
feet, commanding a horizon of almost forty miles, his ears were glad- 
dened with the novel music of dashing waters, and a surf breaking in 
among the rocks at his feet, stayed his further progress. The high 
ridges to the northeast dwindled away to low blue knobs, which 
blended finally with the air. Morton called the cape -which baffled his 
labors after his commander, but I have given it the more enduring name 
of Cape Constitution. I do not believe there was a man among us 
who did not long for the means of embarking upon these bright and 
lovely waters." 

Thus having reached an elevation of So° 30" — a latitude never before 
attained by navigators of Greenland seas— Morton returned homeward, 
to be received with warmth and gratitude by his comrades. 

Once more the time for northern expeditions was drawing to a close, 
and the continued firmness of the ice about the brig was an occasion of 
serious misgivings. Could it be that they were destined to spend 
another winter of darkness, and hunger, and famine in that cheerless region 
of natural dearth? The thought was horrible, and yet no exit appeared 
for the good ship which nine months before had found here an icy prison. 



512 A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. 

All around as far as the eye could reach, was a frozen waste. It "was true 
that .the latest time for the ice to break had not yet appeared; but they 
had to remember how far north they were, and how unfavorable a season 
for melting ice the present one was proving itself to be. Besides, the ice 
had collected in great hummocks about the spot where they had warped 
their way in, making it apparently impossible to retreat. The specula- 
tions and inquiries of the rest indicated that they also were beginning to 
have anxious thoughts about how and where they should spend the com- 
ing year. It began to seem as if winter would be upon them again be- 
fore the sun could thaw a path for their egress. It was with a heavy 
heart that the courageous commander set about solving the problem of 
their liberation. 




OLD GRIM (.KANE'S FAVOKITE.) 



CHAPTER LVIII. 

ATTEMPTED JOURNEY TO BEECHEY ISLAND PRELIMINARY COUNCIL 

GOOD FORTUNE CORRECTS INGLEFIELD's ERRORS A STORM 

ON THE BAY AN EFFORT FOR FREEDOM A RECORD DEPOSITED 

DEPARTURE OF HAYES AND PARTY A DANGEROUS EXPERI- 
MENT ESQUIMAUX FRIENDSHIP A PRIMITIVE CONTRACT 

HAYES' PARTY RETURNS A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR WANDER- 
INGS KALUTUNAH KANE'S WONDERFUL BUOYANCY A DIA- 
BOLICAL PLOT ITS DEFEAT. 

Long experience had . made Dr. Kane's wisdom very extensive, 
amounting, indeed, almost to instinct. The present serious exigency 
received his best thought. The experiences of that awful night-winter of 
1S53-4 led him to shrink from exposing himself and his crew to another. 
If none too well provided then with food and necessaries, they were now 
almost destitute. How could his dispirited, diseased little band endure 
again the strain which a few months' absence of the sun imposed? On 
the other hand they were now in no condition to attempt an escape or 
change of residence for the winter. Half the men -were on the sick list, 
and it was not certain where relief could be found. Besides, how could he 
abandon the Advance when any possibility of saving her remained ? It was 
true that this summer had brought the open water only four miles nearer 
than it had been in the spring; but the fortunes of another summer might 
prove more propitious. If he could reach Beechey Island he might find 
some means of replenishing his stores, or possibly fall in with some vessel 
to whose company he could communicate the whereabouts of his unfor- 
tunate party, and thus bring them succor. After examining all the argu- 
ments for and against, he concluded that to leave the ship was impossi- 
ble. His last remaining expedient was to communicate with Beechey 
Island if possible, and, by reaching the British search squadron, obtain 

relief in that manner. 

. 33 513 



514 ATTEMPTED JOURNEY TO BEECH ET ISLAND. 

Preliminary to so hazardous and doubtful an undertaking, a meeting 
of the officers was called, and the possibilities and impossibilities of the 
plan "were carefully considered, and the ice charts for the proposed route 
were shown. Concurrence and co-operation were not urged upon the 
officers; they were left to a voluntary choice as to their action in the 
matter. All, however, seemed satisfied and relieved when the project 
was divulged to them. Every man on board volunteered, but onlv 
five active men wei~e chosen to participate in the fortunes of the 
journey. 

The equipment, which had been preparing for some time, though 
without tbe object being understood, was now completed. A boat twenty- 
three feet long, and six and a half wide in the middle, was fitted with 
sails, and remodeled as well as the carpenter's limited resources would 
permit. A quantity of food was placed on board, and a party consist- 
ing of all except the sick, was detailed to " sledge " the boat and draw it 
to open water. This proved a most arduous task. The ice was trouble- 
some, being loose and rough; and the repeated straining of the sledge 
caused it to break down, and this led to a tiresome journey of twoscore 
miles in quest of another. Through untiring perseverance the open 
water was at last reached, and the boat launched on its bosom. 

Journeying southward through Smith's Strait, a piece of good fortune 
befell the voyagers. Upon a small island near the eastern coast, it was 
found that large numbers of ducks of various kinds were nesting. Some 
of these -were feeding upon the animal life of the sea, while they in their 
turn were being picked off by the dozen by members of a stronger va- 
riety. Our navigators, in predatory sympathy, fed voraciously on all, 
and promptly laid by a store for future use. 

Observations upon the coast confirmed the inferences already an- 
nounced, viz: That the projections of Capt. Inglefield upon the map 
of the admiralty had been faulty and inaccurate. Dr. Kane would have 
hesitated in making such an announcement had not the observatory from 
which he was in the habit of checking his instruments and results been 
constructed with careful reference to astronomical observations, and its 
position determined to a nicety. Capt. Inglefield had made the coast 



A STORM ON THE BAT. 515 

trend some 20 degrees too much to the north, thus giving the capes 
and inlets discovered too high a latitude, by some miles. 

At last the time came for the party to bear westward across the 
channel, and they soon passed out of the Strait's protection into the open 
sea. Out of sight of land, in a mere cockleshell of a boat, and with a 
freshening wind boding an approaching gale, their feelings may be bet- 
ter imagined than described. Baffin had traversed that gulf 230 years 
before, but his ships were far larger and better fitted for heavy waters 
than the little boat in which our heroes ventured. The gale arose, and 
for twenty-two hours they were driven to and fro upon the troubled 
waters. Only the consummate skill of Mr. McGary — than whom, Kane 
declares, " there is no better boatman in the world," the boat would 
have been swamped in an hour, and even he, hardy old whaler as he 
was, often lost hope, and gladly hailed the moment when an approach- 
ing floe offered them a temporary protection. Anchored to this, they 
rode out the storm. 

It now became necessary to look about them and find in what con- 
dition the storm had left them. They seemed, at first, permanently 
beset. The ice had closed around them from every direction, and the 
horizon in every part of its circle was girt with it. Kane knew that 
they might depend upon the warm winds from the south to scatter the 
pack and give them means of exit; but he saw that his officers had no 
such hope. At last the sun appeared, and leads began to open in every 
direction. As they worked their -way through the opening pack each 
point around which they turned brought them nearer the Greenland 
shore. To cross the channel seemed now impossible, and it was deter- 
mined to try and reach some southern point on the east side of Baffin's 
Bay. The next week was filled with almost constant exposure and dan- 
ger. The rain fell in torrents, and drenched them to the skin, while the 
boat was so filled with the falling water that it required almost constant 
baling. - Again the closing ice on every hand threatened constant nips 
to the unprotected boat. Not an hour passed without witnessing the 
necessity of hauling the boat on the ice to escape a closing lead. In the 
midst of it all, one of the number fell sick from exposure and lack of 



516 AN ATTEMPT FOR FREEDOM. 

sleep. Perseverance and pluck, however, at last overcame the many 
obstacles, and they found themselves close to the coast of Greenland 
within ten miles of Cape Barrow. Coasting for some distance among 
the islands along the eastern shore of the Strait, and meeting with no 
important adventure nor hopeful sign, they decided to return to the brig 
and report their adventures and failure. 

One last desperate attempt to liberate the ship was now resolved on. 
The bi"ig had been now nearly a year confined by the ice, during which 
time she had not changed her position an inch. It was hoped that by a 
judicious use of blasting-powder, a lead might be sufficiently opened to 
admit of her safe passage out into the open water. The hope was a 
feeble one, for the ice to be encountered was of massive thickness, meas- 
uring sometimes nine feet above the water level — indicating a whole 
thickness of sixty-three feet. 

At first some progress was effected. One canister of powder, con- 
taining five pounds, was sufficient to remove two hundred square yards 
of ice. As fast as the way was opened the ship was warped along a few 
yards at a time. Finally she was towed into a small bight, where she 
would be in safety until more extensive measures should be taken for her 
release. It was observed in the meantime with the greatest concern that 
new ice began already to form. The birds began to fly to the south. 
The progress through the deep floes was insignificant at best, and the 
faces of all lengthened as the prospects of release dwindled away and 
finally seemed altogether . to vanish. After one final and thorough 
examination Dr. Kane decided to move the ship no further. Hope of 
complete liberation must be abandoned, and to remove the ship from her 
present secure position might expose her to unnecessary danger and per- 
haps destruction. 

The climax of the expedition being now reached, it was decided, as a 
prudent step, to make a full record of procedures in a concise form and 
deposit it where it could not fail to be discovered bv searchers in that 
vicinity, if, as was possible, the party should all perish before they could 
make or find a means of escape. The experience on Beechey Island five 
years before impelled him to be particularly careful about this office. 



SEPARA TION. 517 

On a large rock, then, facing- the opening from the west, was painted in 
bold, black letters, " The Advance." A hole was drilled in this rock 
and in it was placed a bottle carefully sealed with melted lead and con- 
taining a brief record of the experience and discoveries of the expedition 
from the time it was beset until the date of the record. 

Kane now reflected that it would be unjust, and perhaps inhuman, 
to require the whole party to remain at the brig against their wishes and 
better judgment. As for him, he felt that honor required him to abide 
by his vessel, and he presumed that with a party of determined men the 
result need not be feared, in spite of the gloomy prospect. But he felt 
as he always had, the greatest deference for the feelings and opinions of 
his men, and he decided to make it optional with each one whether they 
should go or stay. 

Calling them together, he laid before them the situation, advising all 
to remain with the ship, but giving any and all the liberty of choosing 
their course. Those who should decide to go, were to choose their own 
officers and abide by their counsel and commands; relinquishing for the 
time all claim upon Dr. Kane and those who might remain with him. 
The roll was called, and each was allowed to speak for himself. The 
result was that Dr. Hayes, with eight others, decided to attempt an es- 
cape to the south. 

" I divided to them, " says Dr. Kane, "their portion of our resources 
justly and even liberally ; and they left us on Monday, the 28th of August, 
with every appliance our narrow circumstances could furnish to speed 
and guide them. One of them, George Riley, returned a few days af- 
terward; but weary months went by before we saw the rest again. 
They carried with them a written assurance of a brother's welcome 
should they be driven back; and this assurance was redeemed when hard 
trials had prepared them to share again our fortunes." 

Their friends having departed, rhe remainder of our little band set 
about making their winter home as tolerable as possible for the coming 
severe season. Large quantities of moss were gathered, and brought in 
sledges to be used in banking up the brig, making it very like an Es- 
quimaux "igloe." The need of fresh meat began to be real and press- 



518 PERILS OF THE HUNT. 

ing. The sick, who now comprised most of their number, could not be 
sustained upon a scurvy -producing diet of pork and beef. This need led 
to an adventure which was well-nigh fatal to all concerned in it. Dr. 
Kane and Hans, the Esquimaux, set out one day to look for seals. It 
was their intention to remain out four or five days, tenting in the open 
air, for the thermometer still showed some degrees above zero. 

At first they were surprised to find how far they had to go to reach 
the open water. The swiftly advancing winter had made a solid ice- 
plain of the spot where they had hoped to find seals playing in great num- 
bers. At last the edge of the water was reached, and several of the 




WATCHING FOR A SEAL. 

polar beauties were discovered gamboling about in their native element. 
To their great consternation, Kane and Hans suddenly became aware 
.that they had driven upon a belt of unsafe ice which threatened to give 
way at any moment, and precipitate them into the freezing flood. Any 
stop was fatal. Fear and vigorous application of the whip gave the 
dogs their greatest rapidity, and they sped like an arrow over the yield- 
ing mass. But such an effort could not last. One of the runners broke 
in, and then dogs, sledge, and men, were successively precipitated into 
the congealing mass about them. Fortunately for the Esquimaux, he 
had brought his kayak, and in it was prepared for such an emer- 



VARIOUS OPINIONS. 519 

gency; but Kane, after cutting the dogs loose, found himself struggling 
in the water, and growing weaker with each new attempt to escape. 
The Esquimaux, in the meantime, like a good Moravian, was praying 
loudly upon the solid ice. "At every fresh crushing-in of the ice, he 
would ejaculate 'God!' and when I re-commenced my paddling he re- 
commenced his prayers." 

It was only after a series of the most desperate efforts, that Kane at. 
last succeeded in establishing himself again upon the solid ice. Here he 
was "frictioned" by the Esquimaux to an extent which caused him to dis- 
miss all fear of evil results from his ducking. The dogs were saved, but 
the entire equipment of sledge, tent, guns, and robes, was lost in the 
water. 

It may interest the reader to note the manner in which our party of 
explorers was again brought in contact with the Esquimaux; and to 
mark the subsequent chain of events which, through common hardships 
and sufferings, seemed to bind natives and seamen together in enduring 
friendship. It is curious to observe the different characteristics which 
different explorers have attributed to this peculiar people. Franklin and 
Kane, as we have seen, found them dishonest, having the idea of prop- 
erty, at least as regards other races than their own, almost wholly want- 
ing. Hall, on the other hand, as we shall duly relate, found them as he 
says, "scrupulously honest," though not scrupulously clean. It is proba- 
bly true that their dishonesty, as indicated in the cases of Franklin and 
Kane, was rather due to a shallow ' knowledge of international laws, 
and a very limited experience in the matter of contact with other races, 
than to a depraved moral condition. 

During Kane's absence, in his futile attempt to reach Beechey Island 
his remaining men had had free intercourse with those of the neighboring 
natives who were inclined to be friendly. In spite of the unpleasantness 
occasioned by their pilfering, Kane, upon his return, encouraged this 
intercourse and took steps to make it mutually profitable. He saw that 
the only danger of the crew was in the absence of fresh meat. If an alli- 
ance could be made with these natives, accustomed to the rules of Arctic 
hunting, this perplexing problem of anti-scorbutic food might be easily 



520 



A PRIMITIVE T RE ATT 



solved. A little determined action on the part of the whites brought the 
two parties to an understanding. Certain articles having been stolen and 
carried off, Kane dispatched two active men in pursuit, with orders to 
bring the culprits back, and to compel them to restore the stolen goods. 
This was promptly done, and resulted in a compact satisfactory to all con- 
cerned. Stolen goods were returned from all quarters, and a treaty entered 
into with every tribe within the social radius. 



1:1 '>$ ''lv 







CATCHING BIRDS. 



The provisions of this novel and primitive treaty were as follows: 
"On the part of the Innuit or Esquimaux : 'We promise that we will bring 
you fresh meat. We promise that we will sell or lend you dogs. We 
will keep you company wherever you want us, and show you where to 
find the game.' 

" On the part of the white men, the stipulations were of this ample 
equivalent: 'We promise that we will not visit you with death or sor- 



ARCTIC DIET. 521 

eery, nor do you any hurt or mischief whatever. We will shoot for you 
on our hunts. You shall be made welcome aboard ship. We will give 
you presents of needles, pins, two kinds of knives, a hoop, three bits of 
hard wood, some fit, an awl, and some sewing' thread; and we will trade 
with you of these and everything else you want for walrus and seal meat 
of the first quality.' " To the credit of both parties be it said that in all 
the intercourse of that winter of 1S54-5, this treaty was never broken. 

It is curious to notice the extraordinary change in appetites and hab- 
its which a few months' sojourn in so rigorous a temperature had effected. 
The disgusting blubber and raw walrus meat of the natives had grown 
to be a luxury. Thus do the feelings adjust themselves to the physical 
requirements of the different zones. " The liver of a walrus eaten with 
slices of his fat, of a verity, is a delicious morsel! Fire would ruin the 
curt, pithy expression of vitality which belongs to the uncooked pieces. 
Charles Lamb's roast pig was nothing to it. I wonder that raw beef is 
not eaten more at home. Deprived of extraneous fiber, it is neither indi- 
gestible nor difficult to masticate. With acids and condiments it makes 
a salad which an educated palate cannot help relishing; and as a heat-cre- 
ating and anti-scorbutic food, it has no rival." 

The reader would be wearied by the detail of events which occurred 
during the last months of 1854. It is sufficient to say that amid increasing 
privations, and with disease threatening to hopelessly weaken the little 
band, the close of the year drew near. 

On the 7th of December the weary watchers at the brig were sur- 
prised by the appearance of several sledge-loads of Esquimaux, bring- 
ing among them Bonsall and Petersen, two of the party who had gone 
out with Dr. Hayes during the last days of the previous summer. 
They reported the remainder of the party two hundred miles away, 
their resources wasted, health broken, and themselves divided in counsel, 
and hesitating as to their future course. Kane's first thought, of course, 
was of relieving their necessity. But he had to meet the question, "Who 
could go to their relief?" Not a man except Mr. McGary, Hans, and 
himself, was able to stir. His only hope lay in trusting what provi- 
sions he could spare to the Esquimaux, and depending upon them to con- 



522 RETURN OF WANDERERS. 

vey the desired assistance. He would willingly have gone himself had 
it been practicable to leave his hospital. As it was, he had many doubts 
and misgivings as to whether the natives, under temptation, could be 
trusted with the precious freight which they were now carrying. 

These reflections were ended on the 12th by the return of the wan- 
derers. They were suffering terribly from cold, and were nearly fam- 
ished. " Poor fellows," says Kane, " I could only grasp them by the 
hand and give them a brother's welcome." 

Their story was an almost continuous record of suffering and thrill- 
ing adventure. Their plan had been to reach Upernavik on the 
Greenland coast, and from there to send assistance to the residue at the 
brig. They had hoped to reach open water at no great distance, but in 
this they were disappointed ; besides, the ice was so rough and broken in 
one place that it took them three days to make six miles, dragging, as 
they were compelled to do, their boat and provisions over its rugged 
surface. Some of them were naturally ready to return almost before 
they were fairly under way. Winter was coming on, starvation stared 
them in the face, and their energies were fast being broken. After they 
had labored on for several weeks it became evident that they must find 
some place of shelter. A hut was improvised from boulders and an old 
sail, with such other articles as could serve any purpose. As Franklin 
had done, they attempted to lengthen out their scanty provisions by the 
use of the tripe de roche, or rock lichen; but it acted as a laxative, and 
producing still greater debility, added to their embarrassment. Some Es- 
quimaux came to their wretched hovel, and brought them a limited sup- 
ply of fresh meat, but would not accede to any request to sell or lend 
their teams. A plot on the part of the natives to destroy the entire 
party having been defeated, Dr. Hayes again tried to treat with them in 
reference to their teams. He says : 

"I now repeated to Kalutunah, their chieftain, a request which had been 
made on previous occasions, namely, that the people should take us upon 
their sledges and carry us northward. His answer was the same that it 
had been hitherto. It was then proposed to him and his companions that 
we should hire their teams from them; but this they also declined to 







KALUTU.N'AH. 



523 



524 HATES' STORT. 

comply with. No offers which we could make seemed to have the 
slightest effect upon them, and it was plain that nothing would induce 
them to comply with our request, nor even give any reason for their re- 
fusal. In fact, they thoroughly understood our situation, and we now 
entertained no doubt that they had made up their minds with a unanim- 
ity, which at an earlier period seemed improbable, to abandon us to our 
fate, and to profit by it. 

" The question to be decided became an easy one. Here were six civ- 
ilized men who had no resort for the preservation of their lives, their 
usefulness, and the happiness of their families, except in the aid of 
sledges and teams which the savages obstinately refused to sell or hire. 
The expectation of seizing our remaining effects, after we should have 
starved or frozen to death, was the only motive of their refusal. The 
savages were within easy reach of their friends, and could suffer little by 
a short delay of their return. For their property, compensation could be 
made after our arrival at the brig." 

A plan to secure the services of the teams was at once organized, 
and steps taken to carry it into execution. The natives were gathered 
together, and shown the utmost kindness in order to remove the suspi- 
cions recently entertained of the whites. Pictures were given them as 
presents for their children, and a great feast was promised. While this 
was preparing, Dr. Hayes managed unobserved to empty the contents of 
a small vial of laudanum into their favorite soup, hoping that it would as- 
sist in making them sleep, thus facilitating the escape with the dogs and 
sledges. Everything was covertly put in readiness, and after the dinner 
had been eaten, signs of drowsiness among the Esquimaux were anx- 
iously looked for. 

" Our guests were in a few moments asleep, but I did not know how 
much of their drowsiness was due to fatigue (for they had been hunting) 
and how much to the opium; nor were we by any means assured that 
their sleep was sound, for they exhibited signs of restlessness which 
greatly disturbed us. Every moment had therefore to be conducted with 
the utmost caution." 

At last everything was in readiness, and the party started out. Some 



BUOTANCT OF KANE. 525 

disturbance had been made in starting, and they were not, therefore, 
surprised to see, before they got out of sight, those whom they had 
clandestinely left behind, come toward them with full speed. They 
were obliged at once to take some definite action. They leveled their 
rifles at the approaching savages. These, seeing their danger, made ges- 
tures of submission, and at last promised to do all that was asked of 
them. They took the whole party on their sledges and brought them 
to the brig, where, as we have seen, they arrived on the 12th of 
December. 

Words cannot describe the horrible experiences of the remainder of 
that Arctic winter. Sickness had prostrated nearly every one, and the 
results of this were intensified by the depression of spirits which it 
seemed impossible to shake off. It was all that the commander could do 
to bear up under the pressure, and sustain the feelings of his men, whom 
a settled melancholy seemed to have seized. Bright and hopeful as he 
always managed to appear, his journal records some fearful "sinkings of 
his heart within him." He had often to perform the fourfold duty of 
nurse, physician, cook, and provider of fuel, besides taking his place <is 
watchman nearly half of the time. There is recorded no more marvel- 
ous sustaining of the soul than is shown in the case of this man. This 
was the third time that he had witnessed the spirits of his men die out 
with the light of the departing sun, and had been compelled to see them 
sinking under disease during a long and tedious winter night; and this 
was the third time that he had been first and ablest of all his company 
to hail the return of the day-god. 

In the midst of all trials, Kane was resolved to preserve the most 
rigid discipline and the most perfect routine. It was at least a remem- 
brancer of civilization, and it served to promote the confidence of the 
men, weakened by disease. It would hardly seem that mutiny or deser- 
tion need be feared in this dreary waste, but we find that both occurred; 
and of the most diabolical type. The description of this experience will 
recall the circumstance referred to in the chapter of Kane's biography. 
One William Godfrey, a sailor, had, it seems, been particularly trouble- 
some throughout the voyage. He and a shipmate, John Blake, were 



526 A PLOT. 

bad fellows, of whom Kane declares that he was curious to know what 
might have been their past life. Certain foreboding whisperings had led 
Kane to suspect a plot, and put him at once on his guard. One day a 
sailor reported having overheard a conversation between the two dis- 
affected seamen to the effect that they would leave the ship as soon as 
possible. Being able-bodied men, and nearly well, they could not be 
spared from service, and their desertion would also probably have a pre- 
judicial influence on the neighboring Esquimaux. 

When the two came to leave the ship, they were promptly con- 
fronted, apprehended, and put in irons; and Godfrey, the instigator and 
leader in the step, was severely punished. At first he confessed all, and 
made fair promises for the future; but being released, he went on deck 
ostensibly to work, and deserted again within an hour. It happened 
that Hans, the Esquimaux, had gone out with the sledge a few days 
before, and was supposed to be at the Esquimaux settlements some 
seventy miles away. The plan of Godfrey was supposed to include die 
seizure of the dogs and sledge, thus depriving the famine-visited party 
at the brig of the last precarious means of subsistence. Kane at once 
saw the necessity of suppressing such a proceeding at the first start. He 
accordingly dressed as an Esquimaux, appeared mysteriously in the vil- 
lage, and before Godfrey could recognize him, had him in irons. 

The winter of 1854-5 wore away, and the advancing sun brought 
improved symptoms to the sick, and a measure of hopefulness to all. The 
situation even yet was dreadful. All had long since concluded that the 
brig never could be liberated, and escape in that way was out of the ques- 
tion. The men were still so reduced in strength that when a deer was 
killed, it was a matter of serious difficulty to transport the body to the 
ship. A dearth of fresh meat was still at times a difficulty hard to over- 
come. The Esquimaux themselves were in a starving condition, so that 
aid from that source was not to be hoped for. One of the stoutest offi- 
cers on board, on looking at himself in the glass for the first time since 
his illness, burst into tears to find how reduced and wretched in appear- 
ance he had become. There was sad truth in Kane's summing up of the 
matter, " Without a speedy change the fate of the party was inevitable." 



CHAPTER LIX. 

KANE DETERMINES TO ABANDON THE BRIG REMOVAL OF BOATS 

AND SLEDGES TO THE WATER'S EDGE PARTING FROM 

FRIENDS HANS PROVES SUSCEPTIBLE EMBARKING— A FEAST 

A SEAL KILLED THE ANNUAL OIL BOAT ARRIVAL AT UPER- 

NAVIK HARTSTENE'S SEARCH KANE's LAST DAYS. 

The party had now been in the ice about two years and the day of the 
brig's release seemed as far away as ever. A careful reference to the re- 
ports of Dr. Kane and his officers reveals some important facts relative to 
the necessity of their abandoning the Advance. Dr. Kane had requested his 
ice-masters to examine the ice surrounding the brig and shutting her from 
the open sea, in order to determine its condition compared with that of 
the previous season, and the probability of its allowing the Advance to 
effect an exit this year of 1855. The above mentioned officers reported 
that the ice was thicker and stronger than it was the year before, and ex- 
tended for miles further out, and that a breaking up under these circum 
stances, which would allow the brig to escape, was not to be looked for 
as the result of a single summer. 

It was further found that all the fuel had been taken from the sub- 
stance of the Advance which could be taken and still leave her sea-wor- 
thy in case of subsequent release ; and that not above half a month's fuel 
could be gathered from the whole store. Moreover, their stock of pro- 
visions had become so reduced that not over thirty-six days' food 
remained. These discouraging facts were certainly sufficient to justify 
Kane in making immediate preparations to leave his vessel and depart 
for the south in whatever way was deemed practicable. 

After due consultation it was decided to put the boats, supplies and 

sick men upon sledges, and transport them to what was considered the 

open sea, and then proceed southward until some foi-tune should drive 

527 



528 



TAKING LEAVE OF THE BRIG. 



them upon friends, or until they should reach Upernavik, trusting to 
Providence to supply them with food when it should give out. This 
agreed upon, the officers and crew proceeded to take final and formal 
leave of the brig. A portion of Scripture was read, and a few words 
sjDoken by Dr. Kane, reviewing their past experience, and speaking of 




HANS, WIFE AND RELATIVES. 



hope for the future. They marched around the brig, commenting on 
her appearance, and rehearsing the time and place when certain scars on 
her surface were given. The figure-head, a representation of a little girl 
with painted cheeks, was taken from the bow. Dr. Kane was at first 
•doubtful about adding this to the already heavy burden, but the men 



HANS, THE UNFAITHFUL. 529 

reasoned that it could be burned for fuel if they could not carry it; so it 
was put upon the sledge to be transported to the -water's edge. 

Then began a long series of hard days' work, for which the men, 
debilitated by suffering and unused to toil, were utterly unfitted. The 
provisions and necessaries had to be take : from the ship and transported 
a short distance at a time till the land ice was reached. When at length 
this was accomplished, a shift was made for a sail, and they sped swiftly 
across the floe toward the wished for water. Their dusky friends had 
accompanied them to the water's edge, and encamped there to say then- 
last good-byes. In them they had found for the most part friends, and 
wretched and dirty as they were, their hearts went out toward these hos- 
pitable denizens of the ice. The natives gave abundant proof that their 
feelings were sincere. They crowded around the mariners, pressing 
upon them gifts of fresh birds, and expressing in the most lugubrious 
strains their regret at their coming bereavement. 

" My heart warms," says Kane, " to these poor, dirty, miserable, yet 
happy beings, so long our neighbors, and of late so staunchly our friends. 
Theirs is no affectation of regret. There are twenty-two of them around 
me, all busy in good offices to the ' Docto Kayens,' and there are only 
two women and the old blind patriarch, Kresuk, left behind at the set- 
tlement. * * * We cook for them in our brig camp-kettle; they 
sleep in the. Red Eric; a berg close at hand supplies them with water; 
and thus rich in all that they value — sleep, food and companionship — 
with their treasured short-lived summer sun above them, the beau ideal 
and sum of Esquimaux blessings, they seem supremely happy. " 

We have omitted hitherro to state for the benefit of those interested 
in Hans, the Esquimaux, that, infatuated by the charms of the lovely 
daughter of an Esquimaux chieftain, he had one day left the ship's com- 
pany not to return. At the time of Kane's departure, he heard that Hans 
was living happily among the people of his choice, and that by his prow- 
ess and experience he had become the great man of his chosen tribe. We 
shall next hear of him in connection with Hayes, the explorer of some 
years later. 

After leaving their friends and embarking on the sea, the floating ice 
34 • 



53) 



A RARE FEAST. 



of the sound came upon them in dangerous quantities for many days. 
Overcoming these difficulties, after a time they caught sight of a flock of 
eider-ducks, and soon became aware that they were at the breeding place 
of these aquatics. A recess was found among the ice-covered rocks 
along the shore, and into it the crew pulled their little fleet, and set apart 
several days for the replenishing of their stock of eatables. 

" We remained almost three days at our crystal retreat, gathering 





OFF TO THE OPEN SEA. 



j~i — jHBESBEafi 



eggs at the rate of 1 200 per day. Outside the storm raged without inter- 
mission, and our egg hunters found it difficult to keep their feet; but a 
verier set of gourmands than were gathered within, never reveled in 
genial diet." 

When at length they started again on their way new obstacles were 
met with. In passing into the less dense atmosphere, they found diffi- 
culty in breathing, and their feet swelled so that it became necessary to 



A WELCOME SOUND. 531 

cut open their canvas boots. A troublesome form of insomnia also at- 
tacked them, and did much to deprive them of rest. Their ravenous 
appetites had made fearful inroads on their larder, and the scrimping' con- 
sequent upon this made all weak, and some of them nearly prostrate. 

" It was at this crisis of our fortunes that we saw a large seal floating 
on a small patch of ice — as is the custom of these animals — and seem- 
inglv asleep. Signal was made for one of the boats to follow astern, and 
trembling with anxiety we prepared to crawl down upon him. Peter- 
sen, with the large English rifle, was stationed in the bow, and stockings 
were drawn over the oars as mufflers. As we neared the animal our ex- 
citement became so intense that the men could hardly keep stroke. 

"I had a set of signals for such occasions, which spared us the noise of 
the voice, and when about three hundred yards away the oars were taken 
off, and we moved on in silence with a single scull astern. He was not 
asleep, for he reared his head when we were almost within rifle shot, 
and to this day I can remember the hard, careworn, almost despairing 
expression upon the men's thin faces, as they saw him move. Their 
lives depended on his capture." 

The seal was killed, and was torn in pieces and devoured almost raw 
by the half- famished men. Every part of this animal was saved. Even 
the entrails found their way into the pot without the preliminary treat- 
ment common in civilized parts. Thus a rare and savage feast was sum- 
marily enjoyed. 

A few days afterward, as they were laboring across the heavy sea, a 
familiar sound came to them over the water. It was not the " Huk ! 
huk ! " of the natives, nor the screeching of a gull. It had, to ears too 
anxiously acute to be mistaken, the well known ring of a healthy 
" Hello ! " How the men bent to their ashen oars, and how every nook 
of the foggy horizon was scanned for any trace of the source whence it 
proceeded. It proved to be a Danish shallop — the annual oil ship from 
Upernavik. 

Here they got their first idea of what had transpired in the world 
since they begun, as it were, their hermitage. Not much news could he 
gained of America, but it was ascertained that Lieut. Hartstene had re- 



532 RESULTS OF KANE'S VOYAGE. 

cently passed up the bay in search of the party supposed from their long 
absence to be lost or perishing. And Sir John Franklin, what of him? 
How tbeir own little specialty came up into mind, as they thought of 
their failure! Traces of him or remains of the party, had been found a 
thousand miles to the south of their searching-ground. 

Still they rowed on, and the next day came to Upernavik, the upper- 
most town of Greenland. Here they were showered with kindness by 
the inhabitants, who regarded them as having been almost miraculously 
saved. They were so weather-hardened and used to exposure, that they 
could hardly endure to stay within walls, so suffocating was this novel 
experience. A few more days found them at Godhaven, where they 
met the rescuing party. 

" Presently we were alongside. An officer whom I shall ever re- 
member as a friend, Capt. Hartstene, hailed a little man in a ragged 
flannel shirt, 'Is that Dr. Kane?' and with the 'Yes!' that followed, the 
rigging was manned by our countrymen, and cheers welcomed us back 
to the social world of love which they represented." It was well into 
September, 1S55, before they were finally on their way to their homes 
which had missed them so long. 

It is proper in closing to mention briefly the scientific results of this 
remarkable voyage. Kane had not found Franklin, nor had he explored 
the fairy land and water which surround the Pole. But his bravery and 
perseverance had added immensely to the limited knowledge of the 
north of Greenland. Over a thousand miles of the coast had been ac- 
curately surveyed and projected, and many of the glacial wonders of 
this frigid region had been investigated and explained. The brave com- 
mander had not only been exceedingly zealous himself, but had planned 
and sent out numerous expeditions for the purpose of investigating par- 
ticular phases of the polar life. Each man seemed to catch the earnest, 
enthusiastic spirit of his chief, and the carefully compiled reports of all 
these expeditions have proved invaluable. The observations on the me- 
teorology of the country, were perfectly taken and classified. The 
mathematical operations used in making geographical locations, were 
conducted with the utmost care and skill; making the results authentic on 



KANE'S EARLT DEATH. 533 

all points dealt with. The flora of the north was treated in a most ex- 
haustive manner, and numerous species were analyzed and reported, 
which had hitherto been unobserved, or received no attention. All these 
things were done under circumstances so distressing and discouraging that 
few would have had the interest or firmness to conduct scientific in- 
vestigation. 

As valuable as Kane made himself to the scientific world, and as dear 
as he became to the hearts of the people, he was the first of that band of 
returned adventurers to pass away. His frail form could not endure the 
shocks imposed upon it by three northern winters. Broken in health, 
and weighed down by the cares to which. he had been a prey so long, he 
sailed for England in 1857. Becoming worse here, he repaired to Cuba, 
where he died the same year at the earl)' age of thirty-seven. 




CHAPTER LX. 

M'CLINTOCK IN COMMAND OF THE FOX HIS CHOICE OF OFFICERS 

CAUGHT IN THE PACK OF BAFFIN'S BAY A WINTER IN THE 

ICE — ARRIVE ON KING WILLIAM'S ISLAND HOBSON DISCOVERS 

A RECORD A MOURNFUL INFERENCE TWO SKELETONS A 

CURIOUS MEDLEY TESTIMONY OF THE ESQUIMAUX WOMAN 

IMPORTANCE OF M'CLINTOCK's INVESTIGATIONS. 

We are now about to describe an expedition which, while perhaps 
not equaling some others in the thrilling character of its details, never- 
theless achieved the long wished-for result of bringing back certain 
knowledge of the circumstances under which Sir John Franklin met his 
death. 

At the time of the inception of this enterprise, the interest in such 
undertakings on the part of leading nations, and the sacrifice of life 
and money in their pursuit, had become matters of history. Traces of 
the ill-starred voyagers had been discovered, but no definite record of 
the probable fate of the expedition had, as yet, rewarded the efforts of 
explorers. 

The devotion of Lady Franklin, which had already received ample 
illustration, in the large amounts of money expended by her in pursuit 
of knowledge concerning her lost consort, was also instrumental in the 
fitting out, and dispatching of this vessel; and on the iSth of April, 
1857, she did Capt. Leopold M'Clintock (before mentioned as a brave 
and efficient officer) the honor to offer him the leadership of the pro- 
posed expedition. As might be expected, it was accepted. As a post of 
honor and difficulty, it would quite naturally possess sufficient charms 
for a naval officer who had already served in several such expeditions. 
M'Clintock was a gallant officer, whose heart was in the cause, and 

whose previous experience had made him perfectly conversant with all 

534 



OFFICERS CHOSEN. 535 

the details of Arctic sailing. It seemed, and indeed, the event proved, 
that no more fortunate choice could have been made. The screw-yacht 
Fox, of 177 tons burthen, was purchased and fitted out for him, and full 
permission obtained for him from the admiralty to complete the search 
in his own way. 

Not only did M'Clintock receive aid and support from Lady Frank- 
lin, but the Royal Society contributed money for the purchase of suit- 
able instruments, and the London Board of Trade donated several 
articles. In fact, Capt. M'Clintock found that he had only to ask for 
what he wanted, to receive it if it was in store. He required, however, 
only such things as were absolutely necessary. 

He was peculiarly fortunate also in the choice of his officers and 
crew. Among them were Lieut. Hobson, an officer of much experience ; 
Capt. Allen Young, of ~ the merchant marine, who not only threw his 
services into the cause, but subscribed =£500 in furtherance of it; and Dr. 
David Walker, an accomplished surgeon, and scientific man; — all these 
were volunteers whose services were secured. " Many worthy old ship- 
mates," says M'Clintock, " my companions in previous Arctic voyages 
most readily volunteered their services, and were as gratefully accepted, 
for it was my anxious wish to gather around me well-tried men, who 
were aware of the duties expected of them, and accustomed to naval dis- 
cipline. Hence out of the twenty-five souls composing our small com- 
pany, seventeen had previously served in the Arctic search." J ust before 
starting, Carl Petersen, mentioned in connection with Dr. Kane's 
memorable expedition, joined the vessel as interpreter. The ship was 
amply provisioned for twenty-ei^ht months, and the supplies included 
the customary stock of preserved vegetables, lime-juice, and pickles for 
daily consumption. The admiralty caused 66S2 pounds of pemmican 
to be prepared, and the Board of Ordnance furnished the arms, powder 
and shot, and giant-powder for ice blasting. M'Clintock, being anxious 
to retain for his vessel the privileges she formerlv enjoyed as a yacht, 
was enrolled a member of several of the leading clubs. 

Upon June 3, 1S57, the Fox left the harbor, and, with favoring winds, 
the coasts of Greenland and Cape Farewell were sighted on the 12th of 



536 CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE PACK. 

July. It ma}' be well to state what, perhaps, is not clearly understood, 
that Baffin's Bay freezes over every winter. During the following sum- 
mer the ice breaks up, and finds its way downward through Davis' Strait, 
frequently obstructing the passage from east to west. The North Pas- 
sage is accomplished by sailing around the western end of the pack as it 
comes down; the .South Passage by pursuing a similar course with re- 
gard to the southern end; and the Middle Passage is effected by pushing 
through the ice. It was M'Glintock's misfortune, after trying all these 
courses, to become fastened in the pack, and thus he was delayed for 
several months. 

The disappointment of a crew eager for results, and still obliged to 
spend several months in fruitless drifting, may be better conceived than 
portrayed. The thought was unbearable that they must spend the win- 
ter in the ice, and then, even if they escaped being crushed, perhaps be 
obliged to return to a waiting nation without tidings of the missing and 
looked for. During all the 242 days, however, that they were ice-bound, 
the best of discipline was preserved, and the brave commander himself 
still remained sanguine of success. Many times the destruction of the 
Fox seemed inevitable. A sea of heavy ice crowded continuously about 
her, threatening to crush in her sides, or by sweeping over the deck to 
sink her, or destroy members of the hapless crew. " Every floe," as 
Dr. Kane explains it, "took upon itself the functions of ocean;" and 
thus the perils of an Arctic sea were made doubly terrible by the waste 
of ice. 

Whenever it was possible to employ or amuse the men among these 

dreary scenes, M'Clintock was desirous that it should be done. An 

evening school for the men was arranged by Dr. Walker, and carried on 

1 
with genuine success. Later on, lectures and readings were organized, 

and subjects of scientific interest discussed, such as the trade winds, at- 
mospheric phenomena, and the uses of the various instruments. On 
November 5, being still in the pack, the men proposed to celebrate the 
preservation of their ancestors from the well-known gunpowder plot. 
An effigy of Guy Fawkes was prepared, and burnt on the ice. " Their 
blackened faces, extravagant costumes, glaring torches, and savage yells 



CRUISING ON THE COAST. 537 

frightened the dogs away; nor was it till after the fireworks were let off 
and the traitor consumed, that they crept back again. It was school- 
night, but the men were up for fun, so gave the Doctor a holiday." 

The Fox had reached Melville Bay when she became locked in the 
pack, and during the eight months that she was an ice-bound prisoner - , 
she had drifted southward over iooo miles. When at last release came 
with the genial breezes of Southern Greenland, it was decided to steam 
to Holsteinberg to rest, get refreshments and supplies, and enjoy the hos- 
pitalities of the Danes. Thence it was proposed to start anew upon 
their philanthropic mission. It was April 28, 1858, when they found 
themselves safely anchored at Holsteinberg, and on May 8 they once 
more spread their sails for the north. The plan now was to keep as 
close as possible to the Greenland shore as far up as Melville Bay, and it 
was hoped that it would be possible to cut across the north end of the 
pack and gain the British side of Baffin's Bay without much loss of time. 
On several occasions it seemed as if they were fated to experience the 
misfortunes of the preceding summer. Escape, however, was made from 
these difficulties without serious delay, and July found them cruising 
about the British coast. 

Care was taken to question all natives old and young concerning any 
whites who had ever visited their coast; especially concerning the wreck- 
ing of ships, and the time, place, and cause of the death of any who had 
been known to perish. Thus the whole distance from Melville Bay, 
through Lancaster Sound and the shoals and inlets of the British side 
was gone over as far down as King William's Island. At nearly every 
point rumors were furnished concerning certain ill-fated ships that were 
said to have been wrecked, and the crews reduced to starvation and death. 
But, although the stories thus far listened to might furnish keys to the 
solution of some other problems interesting in their time and place, there 
was too much uncertainty and vagueness in them to be relied upon, or to 
form the basis of any hypothesis of discovery. 

Upon King William's Island, however, they hoped for better results. 
Hints gathered by some former navigators pointed to the fact as proba- 
ble that Sir John had met his death on this island, and it was hoped to 



538 ON KING WILLIAM'S ISLAND. 

find some record or trace that should settle the matter beyond the dis- 
pute of cynical theorists. How successful they were will appear in the 
following- pages. It was the morning of the 24th of May, when the little 
party crossed over to King William's Island. Nearly two years had 
elapsed since the expedition left England, and as yet not one fact had 
been gained in the accomplishment of their object. What but the sincer- 
est devotion to a cherished purpose could have induced these men to 
sacrifice so much time in the very prime of their manhood, and spend it in 
danger, and difficulty, and sufferings? 

The information gained from natives on this island, although partak- 
ing in some degree of the vague character of that obtained from other 
sources, nevertheless sufficiently confirmed their previous suspicions. Be- 
sides, certain trinkets and small articles in their possession were identified 
as having at some time belonged to members of Franklin's crew. Thus 
it was concluded that here or in this vicinity, would be found a positive 
answer to the troubled query. 

On arrival at King William's Island the party was subdivided for 
purposes of sledge-travel. Capt. M'Clintock and Mr. Petersen, his inter- 
preter, headed one party, and Lieut. Hobson the other. Each division 
was well equipped with clothing and other essentials to their comfort and 
safety. Capt. M'Clintock does not seem to have had as good success in 
discovering indications as Hobson, not having met natives who could give 
him any intelligent information; and we find him in a few weeks on the 
track of that officer, partly for the purpose of giving him aid in case of 
need, and partly to confirm anything of importance that Mr. H. might 
have come upon. At various points objects were now discovered, show- 
ing the track of the retreating party. 

Near Cape Herschel, on the south of the island, Capt. M'Clintock at 
last found a cairn built by Lieut. Hobson. No wreck had been found 
and no natives interviewed, but he had discovered a record so long and 
earnestly sought for of the Franklin expedition. Before giving the details 
of this record it may be well to explain that documents of this character 
are made on blanks furnished for the purpose by the British Govern- 
ment — of the kind suitable for inclosing in bottles and dropping into the 



A RECORD. 539" 

sea, in case of wrecked or sinking vessels. On these blanks is printed, in 
six different languages, the request that the finder shall forward the same 
to the admiralty. The record here found was of the kind described ; it 
was written by Lieut. Gore, and read as follows: 

"May 28, 1S47. 

" H. M. S. Erebus and Terror wintered in ice in latitude 70 5' north, longitude 
98° 23', west. Having wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island, in latitude 74 43' 
2S" north, longitude 91° 39' 15" west, after having ascended Wellington Channel 
to 77 and returned by the west side of Cornwallis Island. 

"Sir Jno. Franklin commanding the expedition 

"All well. 

" Party consisting of two officers and six men left the ships on Monday, 24th 
May, 1847. 

i 

" Gr. Gore, Lieut. 
"Chas. DeVoeux, Mate." 

There is manifestly an error in the record given above. The winter 
spent at Beechey Island must have been 1845—6, for the record itself 
makes a point of stating that, 1847 (i. e. 1846—7) was spent in the ice. 
This is plain, and the party's success is briefly summed up in the remain- 
der of the record. Certain whalers brought intelligence in 1S45 that the 
two ships of Franklin entered Wellington Channel by Lancaster Sound, 
and sailed up 150 miles. As is shown by the record Franklin returned 
southward, probably not caring to risk the fleet in the unknown waters 
so far from the coast of America. These results, however, the exploring 
of Wellington Channel and the addition to the charts of admiralty of 
the land on both sides must be regarded as remarkable for the work of 
a single season. It is thought that Franklin had demonstrated without 
doubt the existence of a Northwest Passage, although he was destined 
never to make his discovery of practical importance. 

If the above record had been all, or if the remainder had been as 
cheering in tone as that already given, how gratifying must have been 
these disclosures to our weary searchers. But alas! around the margin 
of the record, whose contents have been partially given above, were 
inscribed the following: words in another hand: 



540 MOURNFUL INFERENCES. 

"April 25, 1S48. 
" H. M. S. Terror and Erebus were deserted on the 22d April, five leagues N. N" 
W. of this, having been beset since 12th of September, 1846. The officers and crews 
consisting of 105 souls under the command of Capt. Crozier, landed here in latitude 
69° 37' 42" N., longitude 98 41' W. Sir Jno. Franklin died on the nth of June, 
1S47, and the total loss by deaths in the expedition has been to this date 9 officers and 
15 men. 

(Signed.) (Signed.) 

"F. R. M. Crozier, "Tas. Fitzjames, 

"Capt. and Si". Officer. " Capt. Erebus. 

"And start (on) to-morrow, 26th, for Back's Fish River." 

How mournful it was to receive thus the complete assurance of a fact 
whose foreshadowing' had long been over them! A sadder tale was never 
told in few words. There is something deeply touching in their 
extreme simplicity, and they show in the strongest manner that both the 
leaders of this retreating party "were actuated by the loftiest sense of 
duty, and met with calmness and decision the fearful alternative of a last 
bold struggle for life rather than perish without effort on board their 
ships. We well know that the Erebus and Terror were not provisioned 
for more than three years, or up to July, 1S4S. 

M'Clintock afterward went to the western extremity of King Wil- 
liam's Island. Here he found that Hobson had been before him and had 
discovered a large boat with various other articles, such as clothing and 
the paraphernalia of the Arctic toilet. 

"But," says M'Clintock, "all these were after observations; there 
was that in the boat which transfixed us with awe. It was portions of 
two human skeletons. One was that of a slight young person ; the other 
of a large, strongly-made, middle-aged man. The former was found in 
the bow of the boat, but in too much disturbed a state to enable Hobson 
to determine whether the sufferer had died there; large and powerful 
animals, probably wolves, had destroyed much of this skeleton, which 
may have been that of an officer. Near it we found the fragment of a 
pair of worked slippers. * * * * * * 

" Besides these slippers, there were a pair of small, strong, shooting 
half-boots. The other skeleton was in a somewhat more perfect state, 



RELICS OF THE LOST. 541 

and was enveloped with clothes and furs ; it lay across the boat under the 
after thwart. Close beside it were found five watches, and there were 
two double-barreled guns — one barrel in each loaded and cocked, stand- 
ing muzzle upward against the boat side. It may be imagined with 
what deep interest these sad relics were scrutinized, and how anxiously 
every fragment of clothing was turned over in search of pockets and 
pocket-books, journals, or even names. Five or six books were found, 
all of them scriptural or devotional works, except the Vicar of Wake- 
field. One little book, 'Christian Melodies,' bore an inscription on the 
title page, from the donor to G. G. (Graham Gore?) A small Bible 
contained numerous marginal notes and whole passages underlined. Be- 
sides these works, the covers of a New Testament and Prayer Book were 
found. 

"Amongst an amazing quantity of clothing there were seven or eight 
pairs of boots of various kinds — cloth winter boots, sea-boots, heavy 
ankle-boots, and strong shoes. I noticed that there were silk handker- 
chiefs — black, white, and figured; towels, soap, sponge, tooth-brush, and 
hair-combs-; Macintosh gun cover marked outside with paint, A i 2, and 
lined with black cloth. Besides these articles, we found twine, nails, 
saws, files, bristles, wax-ends, sailmakers' palms, powder, bullets, shot, 
cartridges, wads, leather cartridge-case, knives — clasp and dinner ones — 
needles and thread, slow match, several bayonet scabbards cut down into 
knife sheaths, two rolls of sheet lead, and in short, a quantity of articles 
of one description and another truly astonishing in variety, and such 
as for the most part, modern sledge-travelers would consider a mere 
accumulation of dead-weight, but slightly useful, and very likely to break 
down the strength of the sledge crews. 

" The only provisions we could find were tea and chocolate ; of the 
former very little remained, but there were nearly forty pounds of the 
latter. These articles alone could never support life in such a climate, 
and we found neither biscuit nor meat of any kind. A portion of to- 
bacco, and an empty pemmican-tin, capable of containing twenty-two 
pounds weight, were found. The tin was marked with an R. It had 
probably belonged to the Erebus. None of the fuel originally brought 




STATUE OF FRANKLIN. 



542 



AN OLD WOMAN'S TESTIMONY. 543 

from the ships remained in or about the boat, but there was no lack of it 
for a drift-tree was lying on the beach close at hand, and had the party 
been in need of fuel, they would have used the sides and bottom of the 
boat." 

Besides the things mentioned above, there were discovered several 
pieces of plate evidently having belonged to the officers' mess. These 
melancholy relics were placed in the hospital at Greenwich, where they 
may be seen to-day. No vestige of a wreck was found, and it seemed 
likely to M'Clintock and his companions that the ships had been broken 
up and carried out to sea. Although no particular skeleton was here 
identified, nor any further news found, it seemed likely that a journey 
had been attempted to the mouth of the Great Fish River. The cap- 
tains had evidently chosen to make this last and desperate endeavor to 
save the lives of their crews, rather than to remain in the ships; which 
course, in the absence of provisions and the lack of means of obtaining 
any,, would have been no more nor less than suicide. So the marks along 
the way seemed to justify the testimony of the old Esquimaux woman, 
who had deposed: "The white men marched along toward the great 
river and fell dead as they marched." Faint from lack of food, their 
loved commander long since gone, the last hope dying out as the last 
star is obscured by the thickening cloud, they had struggled on and met 
their fate in the land where their best work was done. 

Of great importance were the discoveries of M'Clintock. Upon his 
return to England in the autumn of 1S59, he was received with the great- 
est honors and warmest congratulations. He had been absent for over 
two years, during which time almost no tidings had come of him to prove 
that he had not met the destiny of those whom he sought. He received 
many rewards from the admiralty, and the undying gratitude of Lady 
Franklin, for his valor and success. Still later he was knighted by the 
Queen, and Sir Leopold M'Clintock has gone into history as one of 
the most eminent of modern explorers. 

Let us add in conclusion a word in regard to the geographical im- 
portance of M'Clintock's investigations. Besides bringing to light the 
most important of the knowledge gained, but never published, by Frank- 



544 GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES OF M'CLINTOCK. 

lin, he himself achieved success in many ways. He proved that Strait 
Bellot, which had hitherto been regarded as an impassable, frozen chan- 
nel, or perhaps ignored as a channel at all, is a navigable strait, the south 
shore of which is thus seen to be the northernmost land of the continent 
of North America. He also laid down the hitherto unknown coast line 
of Boothia southward from Bellot Strait to the Magnetic Pole, delineated 
the whole of King William's Island, and opened a new and capacious, 
though ice-choked channel, suspected before but not proved to exist, ex- 
tending from Victoria Strait, in a northwest direction to Melville or Parry 
Sound. 

The latter discovery rewarded the individual exertions of Capt. Allen 
Young, but very properly, at Lady Franklin's request, bears the name 
of the leader of the " Fox " Expedition, who had himself assigned to it the 
name of Franklin's widow. 

Neither was the expedition unfruitful of scientific results, for while the 
popular mind is delighted with the graphic descriptions of the native Es- 
quimaux and animal life, so copiously given in his interesting book, the 
specialist in science may be grateful to find in Capt. M'Clintock's val- 
uable appendices many and important additions to the zoology, botany, 
meteorology, and particularly the details of the terrestrial magnetism of 
the regions examined. 

The natural modesty of M'Clintock has prevented his doing justice 
to himself in his own journal. His conduct and prowess were such as 
could be estimated only by those whose fortune it was to serve under 
him, and who have been glad to testify to his great qualities in times of 
need and of extreme peril. The example of such men must indeed be 
invaluable in a country where it is desired to develop in the hearts 
and minds of the people those qualities of independence and devotion to 
a noble purpose, which tend to make the nation invincible. 



CHAPTER LXI. 

HALL'S FIRST VOYAGE A GENEROUS OFFER MR. GRINNELL's 

AGENCY KUDLAGO SEA SICKNESS ICEBERGS A SAIL DEATH 

OF KUDLAGO AT HOLSTEINBERG TO NORTHUMBERLAND INLET 

RUNAWAYS THE BLACK EAGLE A TRANSFORMATION A 

NEW USE OF THE TONGUE. 

Few men have entered upon a great undertaking with less encour- 
agement and means than did Charles Francis Hall. An American of 
humble birth, without friends of influence or money of his own with 
which to tit out an expedition to the Polar Seas, he nevertheless accom- 
plished much more than most of those who had far superior resources. 
He was a characteristic American. What if his father had been a black- 
smith? What if the smile of fortune had not fallen upon him? What 
though only an obscure journalist in the Western town of Cincinnati, 
if conviction, courage and enthusiasm called him to the dangerous work 
of Arctic exploration? 

Franklin had been lost; the British Government had spent $10,000,- 
000 for him; Dr. Kane and others had wasted their lives in the cause with- 
out complete success. Franklin and his crew still lingered somewhere 
in the ice-bound coasts of King William's Land, no man knew where. 
Hall's heart went out in sympathy for the lost ones, and for years he was 
meditating upon the probabilities of their discovery and recovery before 
he dared to mention it. Finally, in 1859, the "call," as he terms it, be- 
came so imperative that his plan was divulged to a few intimate friends 
in Cincinnati, and afterward to men of more notoriety. Mayor Bishop, 
Gov. Dennison, Miles Greenwood, Senator Chase, and others, espoused 
his cause at once, and gave letters of value to aid him in securing an 
outfit. But whence was such an outfit to come ? Mr. Hall at first con- 
cluded to apply to the English Government for a ship which had been 
35 545 



546 A GENEROUS OFFER. 

used in exploration before, and was at the time on the docks awaiting 
repairs. For some reason, however, application was never made for 
this vessel. In fact, it was but a short time after making known his in- 
tentions that the generous-hearted firm of Williams & Havens, New 
London, Conn., sent the would-be explorer the following letter, thereby 

making all other efforts to secure a ship unnecessary: 

• 

"Charles Francis Hall: 

"Dear Sir : — As a testimonial of our personal regard, and the interest we feel in 
the proposed expedition, we will convey it and its required outfit, boats, sledges, pro- 
visions, instruments, etc., free of charge, in the barque George Henry, to Northum- 
berland Inlet, and whenever desired we will give the same free passage home in our 
ships." 

This offer was at once accepted. The George Henry had been tried 
in Arctic waters and proved faithful, and it now only remained to have 
a smaller boat built to accompany the larger vessel. It was not long be- 
fore the contract for building the new craft was awarded to Mr. G. W. 
Rogers of New London. This ship-builder had fitted out Kane and 
DeHaven. Hence, with some personal supervision by Mr. Hall, and 
much valuable advice by Henry Grinnell, of New York, the old Rescue 
was refitted as an attending schooner. 

By this time men in various parts of the country became interested in 
the new movement, and letters of encouragement were pouring in to the 
adventurous journalist, while more substantial tokens of interest and re- 
gard were received from several sources. Still Mr. Hall's purse was low, 
and his needs great. He presented his cause to private individuals; he 
went before geographical and scientific societies, and wherever a dollar 
could be secured, there this determined man of the future was to be 
found. 

As has been intimated, the success of this voyage was due more to 
the generous-hearted and courageous explorer, Henry Grinnell, than to 
any other one person. Mr. Grinnell assisted with money, with cheering 
words, with wholesome advice, and with his superior influence. Mr. 
Hall's blunt manner, determined look and thorough knowledge con- 
vinced the merchant that no man was better fitted to undertake this dan- 



LEAVES NEW LONDON. 



547 



gerous expedition, nor did adverse opinions, limited means, and the ill 
success of past voyages deter him a moment from giving all the aid pos- 
sible, and finally from seeing the brave crew aboard the north-bound 
vessels, filled with the hope of great discoveries. 




CHARLES FRANCIS HALL. 

It was May 29, i860, when Charles Francis Hall, on board the 
George Henry, sailed from New London, Conn., for the Arctic regions. 
His heart was sad at leaving friends, home and country, whom he might 



548 SEA SICKNESS. 

never see again, but filled with the great purpose which had driven him 
from his Ohio fireside, and out upon the unknown sea of discovery. 
Around him were gathered the George Henry's crew, with Capt. Bud- 
dington, an old Arctic sea captain, at their head, and many stout hearts 
among their number. 

The Rescue was to keep in sight of the other vessel, if possible, and 
lend assistance when such might be required. There were twenty-nine 
individuals on the two ships, besides Mr. Hall and an Esquimaux by the 
name of Kudlago. The means had not been sufficient to supply the 
exoedition with many articles needed, but everything that was absolutely 
necessary had been secured. This included instruments for scientific 
investigations, provisions for crew, presents of beads, shirts, and trinkets 
for natives, and a large sledge. 

The winds were favorable on the first day out, and the two vessels 
skipped over the bine Atlantic as though in high glee at being once 
[more upon the broad ocCan, with such an extensive field for sport be- 
fore them. Most of the crew had been on northern trips, and all were 
sailors of experience. Mr. Hall, however, was taking his first voyage 
upon the ocean, and hence began soon to realize the bitter experience 
of a much shaken-up physique. This sea-sickness continued for several 
days, during which time the brave navigator concerned himself more 
about the temperature and peaceful condition of his own organism, than 
about the Polar seas. Few things transpired, indeed, to excite the at- 
tention during the first few days. A school of "whales blowing water 
high into the air was met with, but the crew not caring to tarry on the 
way, no harpoon was thrown at the marine monsters. 

About the 1 3th of June a terrible . squall struck the George Henry, 
dashing the spray in wildest fury, and almost submerging her at times, 
but bravely did the noble ship plow through the deepest trough, climb 
the mountain waves, and come out of the wild warring elements unin- 
jured and undismayed. 

Although well shaken, all on board enjoyed the excitement, and, 
when again they were skimming along over a beautiful clear sea, no 
merrier crowd of mariners could be found. On June 2 1 Mr. Hall re- 



ICEBERGS— NORTHERN LIGHTS. 549 

marked the thermometer falling, and predicted the nearness of icebergs. 
Capt. Buddington, and an old tar by the name of Sterry, however, 
laughed at the idea of seeing- those Arctic travelers so soon. The ex- 
plorer maintained his position, which, indeed, was verified about ten 
o'clock that night. When the huge spectral figure arose from the bo- 
som of the deep, and stood erect to the height of one hundred and fifty feet, 
no grander spectacle had ever been witnessed by many aboard the vessels. 
To see a massive crystalized form shining in the moonlight, and moving 
majestically, but noiselessly along, as though propelled by fairy hand 
reaching down from whence it had come, was a sight calculated to 
awaken the sublimest feelings of the human heart. 

After this it became no longer a rare occurrence to meet with these 
monster messengers from above. They were seen in all shapes, and of 
all sizes. 

Nor were icebergs the only objects that now enlivened the view. 
Ever and anon a huge black form would be seen gliding slowly along 
beneath the surface, in a few instances ioo feet long. To one who had 
never before seen marine animals of any size, the sight of these mon- 
archs of the deep was thrilling in the extreme. Thus day after day 
sped, and night after night settled over the voyagers; each day and each 
night bringing sights never witnessed before. It was on June 26, 
while the explorer was out upon the deck enjoying the scenery, about 
midnight, that the " Northern Lights" suddenly flashed on his vision. 
Startled at first by such a phenomenon, he at length began to reflect 
upon the cause. It was not the Aurora Borealis — not an electrical dis- 
play of atmospheric fireworks — merely the reflection from a northern 
sun long after its retirement below. Theory had taught it, science 
had discussed its probability, but few eyes, indeed, had ever witnessed 
such a sight — the entire north being all ablaze with a flood of golden 

o o o 

glory. Old Sol, loth to leave a world so much in need of his presence, 
had sent back a last bright smile to cheer the hearts of those whom he 
had forsaken. 

On the morning of June 27, the cry of, "A sail! a sail!" was heard. 
Immediately all hands were on deck, eagerly gazing in the direction of 



550 DEATH OF KUDLAGO. 

the sighted craft. The American colors were run up on the George 
Henry, and were soon acknowledged by the approaching vessel, which 
carried the Danish flag. By the aid of a powerful glass Mr. Hall dis- 
covered the name of the visitor to be Marianne. He at once remembered 
this to have been the name of the vessel which conveyed Dr. Kane and 
crew from Greenland to New York after their memorable voyage several 
years before. Denmark annually sends a vessel to Greenland to carry 
provisions and necessary articles to her subjects upon that lonely island. 
The Marianne had been on such an errand at this time, and was just 
returning to her native port. 

The sight of a friendly sail, the sound of a human voice, though 
heard from the throat of a trumpet miles away, was a relief to the Arc- 
tic-bound crew which only tho^e in similar circumstances could possibly 
appreciate. 

From this day until the time when the George Henry dropped 
anchor off Holsteinborg, Greenland, little occurred worthy of note. One 
circumstance, however, of great importance to the navigatoi's, must not 
be omitted, viz., the death of Kudlago, the Esquimaux. He had con- 
tracted a severe cold when a few days out from New London, and never 
recovered. All the crew felt greatly attached to this queer-looking, but 
kind-hearted specimen of the genus Jiomo, and when his spirit took its 
flight a general feeling of sadness pervaded the entire company. Proper 
services were held over his remains — Mr. Hall conducting the religious 
exercises — and then the mortal part of Kudlago was lowered to the 
water's edge, and sunk into the bosom of the deep. 

Fogs and ill winds kept the two vessels away from their destination 
on the Greenland coast until July 7, i860, when they cast anchor in 
the beautiful harbor of Holsteinborg. Forty days and forty nights had 
they been out upon a perilous sea, where constant watching and the 
utmost care had to be exercised to avoid being wrecked upon icebergs, 
or dashed to pieces by the furies of a northern storm, and the sight of 
land was hailed with great delight. 

When the crews of the Rescue and George Henry had planted their 
feet once more 'upon dry land, surrounded with wandering Esquimaux, 



AT HOLSTEINBORG. 551 

the sense of loneliness felt while out upon the ocean immediately 
vanished, and a feeling of thankfulness and satisfaction took pos- 
session of each heart. More than a thousand miles had been traversed 
in one of the most dangerous seas of the globe. But they had come 
safely through. They beheld with their own eyes, and touched with 
their own feet, the far-famed Greenland of the north. They at last 
stood upon the shores of that country unknown to the civilized world 
until the tenth century, and almost undeveloped since that time. 

The first place which Mr. Hall visited was the governor's mansion. 
Said mansion was not so palatial as could be found in portions of 
Europe or the United States, as it consisted of but three or four rooms, 
and these all on the first floor. But everything was found to be neat 
and cleanly, as, indeed, were all the houses in this far-off town of Hol- 
steinborg. Governor Elberg had lived here for a number of years, re- 
ceiving a regular salary from the Danish Government. His wife and 
child had departed from Copenhagen but a short time previous to the 
arrival of our explorers, and the governor was rejoicing over the pros- 
pect of having his family with him, when the news reached Greenland 
that the vessel had been wrecked, and the loved ones lost in the cruel sea. 

Mr. Hall found the governor a remarkably pleasant gentleman, 
obliging and courteous. Everything was done for the comfort and enter- 
tainment of the visitors which could be devised. Information regarding 
the island and natives, histories of former navigators, and assistance in 
repairing the George Henry, were gladly given by the genial governor. 
Mr. Hall found that there were only ten Europeans in Holsteinborg 
although there were two hundred and fifty in all Greenland. A priest 
and two school teachers were among the inhabitants, and a very 
flattering development in morals and education was found. Boys 
and girls, many of them younger than are usually found in our public 
schools, had been taught to read and write, and their proficiency was 
marvelous. 

During a stay of eighteen days among the inhabitants of Holsteinborg 
our heroes attended divine worship, several sessions of school, and many 
dances. The latter were considered by the natives the highest form of 



552 CONTINUOUS DAT. 

amusement. Nor were they much less appreciated by our rough and 
ready sailor boys, who, with their fair Esquimaux partners, " tripped 
the light fantastic toe " after the most approved style. Most of these en- 
tertainments were given on shore, but before departing preparations were 
made on shipboard for a grand ball. Accordingly, when the day set 
for the party had arrived, the kayaks of the natives began to shoot out 
from the shore, and long before the appointed time, nearly every family 
of Holsteinborg was represented on the George Henry. The sailors 
took to the sport with eagerness, and even the long-bearded Hall himself, 
although he had never before engaged in such amusement, was induced 
to swell the number of dancers. Thus the hours sped away. Before 
leaving the ship, however, the company from shore joined in singing 
several Danish church hymns — a practice which might not result in evil 
among more civilized dancers. 

But the time had come for leaving this delightful shore. Many 
friendships had been formed and many eyes were moistened at the thought 
of separation. The stern duties of exploration, however, demanded their 
onward march, and on July 24th, amid a large number of natives and 
Europeans, after many hand-shakings and exchanges of presents, the 
noble thirty repaired to their ships, and were soon stemming the tide up 
Baffin's Bay. 

The travelers turned their course toward Northumberland Inlet. The 
first day forcibly reminded them of the dangers to which they were sub- 
jected, as the sky became overcast and quite a gale blew for awhile, but 
the worst of its fury passed over. Icebergs of every description were 
floating about, many of which were of the most fantastic and beautiful 
design. The third day witnessed a heavy snowstorm. However, when 
the clouds permitted the sun's rays to reach the earth, the effect was fre- 
quently the most delightful and startling. It will be remembered that 
the explorers were now in that portion of our globe where there is per- 
petual day for a large portion of the year, during which time the sun 
never disappears below the horizon. Mr. Hall graphically describes the 
day that noted old Sol's non-inclination to go .out of sight, when the en- 
tire crew stood upon the deck at midnight and watched him descend to 



REFRACTION. 



553 



the horizon and then slowly begin his march up the rugged mountains 
of the skies. The peculiar laws of reflection and refraction were 
most beautifully verified and illustrated. In our works on physics we 
study theories, and demonstrate what might come to pass under certain 
circumstances, little realizing, however, that these circumstances really 
exist, and that the results are beheld by people on some point 
of our sphere. The crews of the Rescue and George Henry actually 
beheld mountains apparently high up in the sky, which were from 
seventy-five to one hundred miles away. The sun's rays were so 

refracted as to pick up 
these mountains, which 
would otherwise have 
been invisible at such a 
great distance, because 
of the rotundity of the 
earth, and plant them 
high above the horizon, 
where the awe-stricken 
sight-seers could gaze 
upon their monstrous 
forms at their leisure. 

Nor was this the only 
phenomenon. By the 
same laws of refraction 
the moon at first sight 
appeared all broken and distorted; islands clothed with verdure were 
seen in the heavens; inverted icebergs, like huge pyramids standing 
upon the apex, and even the vast sea itself, had apparently shifted its 
position to the clouds, while the most gorgeous colors bedecked the 
entire assemblage of earthly visitors, like an oriental fairy-land plumed 
out in its most extravagant array. 

One morning the crew of the George Henry were surprised to hear 
the cry, " Ship-a-hoy! " from the watch. The strange vessel soon came 
within shouting distance, when the following conversation took place: 




CAPT. SIDNEY O. BUDDINGTON. 



554 THE RUNAWA7S. 

" Who are you?" cried Capt. Buddington. 

" Crew from the Ansell Gibbs, of New Bedford," was the reply. 

" Where from, and bound to what port," cried the Captain. 

" From the north and bound to the south," came the answer. 

" You are runaways, are you not?" thundered Capt. B. 

" Yes, we are," was the answer. 

"Why did you leave your ship? " 

" Bad treatment on board and nothing to eat." 

" Do you know how far it is to the United States?" asked the captain. 

"About 1500 miles, we have reckoned," said the spokesman. 

"Are you all old sailors?" was asked. 

" No; only two of us have ever been to sea before," was the reply. 

In vain did Capt. Buddington and Mr. Hall expostulate with them 
about their hazardous undertaking. They were bound to continue their 
voyage. Storms and icebergs might frighten others, but these American 
boys were fearfully homesick, and notwithstanding the prospects of star- 
vation, of freezing, of being swallowed by some sea monster, they again 
took their departure, and were soon lost to view. 

It is not possible to follow these reckless seamen in their little boat, 
through the many dreary days and horrible experiences of their course. 
Suffice it to say that only three out of the seven ever reached their native 
land. One of these, Thos. Sullivan, gave an account of their misfortunes 
and desperate straits. Driven hither and thither, without food and 
proper clothing, the remaining three were finally picked up by Es- 
quimaux, and went back home. While wrecked upon an unknown 
island one of their number died, when -the rest cut the flesh from his 
bones and ate it. Nor was this the most horrible circumstance. An 
attempt was made to murder another of the crew. A terrible fight 
ensued, in which one of the would-be murderers was killed. Their 
story formed a fitting termination to such a scene of insubordination and 
bad discipline. 

The long-sought bay was soon approached, and preparations made to 
land. As soon as the George Henry was sighted from the harbor, five 
whalers were sent out from the Black Eagle, which was lying at anchor 



A TRANSFORMATION. 555 

here, and soon our explorers were being towed in by these smaller boats. 
The Rescue had landed previously, and now sent one of her whaling 
boats to assist in bringing in the George Henry. 

The merry laughter, hearty hand-shaking, and boisterous shouts from 
the sailors as they met each other in this far-off land, evinced the genu- 
ine joy of such a meeting. Capt. Allen, of the Black Eagle, with two 
of his mates, soon rowed out to the incoming vessel, and right cordially 
were our heroes welcomed to the harbor of Grinnell Bay. About 
twelve o'clock on the Sth day of August, the George Henry cast anchor 
safely in the harbor. 

It must not be forgotten that whaling vessels make trips to this far 
off sea, although brave and skillful must be the navigator who is willing 
to risk his life in such an undertaking. The Black Eagle was out for 
this purpose. Its crew was not large, but fearless of anything connected 
with a seafaring life. Then the sports of these passages were more nu- 
merous than would be expected. Acquaintances were always formed 
with Esquimaux, which proved a source of vast enjoyment to the wild 
and reckless crews of a whaling vessel. 

Upon the occasion of the George Henry's arrival, scores of good- 
natured natives, men and women, came aboaid, manifesting the most in- 
tense interest in the new comers; but never touching aught which be- 
longed to the vessel. The Esquimaux, according to Hall, are scrupu- 
lously honest — not so scrupulously clean. A little circumstance occurred 
at this time, which will serve to illustrate the lack of this latter quality. 

Kudlago's little girl, hearing of her father's death, came aboard to in- 
quire concerning it. Kudlago had thought a great deal of his little 
daughter, and had filled a chest with various bright colored articles as 
presents to her and his wife. Accordingly, when the little one came 
aboard, Mr. Hall and Capt. B. concluded they would dress her in Amer- 
ican costume. But the task of transforming this daughter of the forest 
involved almost as much labor as does an ordinary transformation of 
toilet among American girls farther south. Her hair had never been 
combed — a marvelous entanglement and mixture of moss, seal, and rein- 
deer hair all matted together with compounds of unknown nature. Nor 



556 A NEW USE OF THE TONGUE. 

was her head the only portion which needed attention. Layer after 
layer of northern mother earth had accumulated upon her face and 
hands, which required much soap to remove. But when, after due 
scrubbing and combing, the original was arrived at, no more beautiful 
child could have been found. between the 35th and 49th degrees of north 
latitude. Her cheeks were as red as roses, her lips of the most exquisite out- 
line, and her eyes of "heaven's own hue." Nor had the outer covering 
of dirt apparently injured her health. She was as robust and full of life 
as the buxom maiden on the plains of Illinois, or the mountains of the 
East. Kimmiloo was the name of this romantic maiden. 

When Kimmiloo came out of the cabin all gaudily attired in a red 
dress, brass rings, fancifully arranged frills and furbelows, her Esqui- 
maux relations and friends laughed, shouted, and jumped about, greatly 
delighted with the change of costume. A very interesting account is 
given of a blind Esquimaux called Blind George by the sailors, and 
Pan-loo-yer by the natives. He claimed to be an expert with the needle, 
and indeed, so proved himself. Mr. Hall gave him a garment to mend 
and watched his manoeuvers. George took the needle and put the end 
containing the eye between his teeth. He then put the thread upon the 
tip of his tongue. With his tongue he brought the end of the thread in 
contact with the needle until directly it struck the eye, and the needle 
was threaded! Verily, this is a use of the tongue never known before. 

These Esquimaux showed great eagerness to become acquainted with 
American manners and language. And what is strange, yet nearly 
always the case, words of profanity and obscenity were invariably first 
learned. When one of them could not pick up a little ball of mercury that 
was dancing around, he said it had the devil in it. Perhaps this is to be 
accounted for by the fact that these words were heard more than any others 
among the sailors, but it seems a coincidence worthy of note that the 
same is true in the case of every foreigner in first acquh'ing the English 
tongue. 



CHAPTER LXIL 

CHAPPELL INLET A GRIEF-STRICKEN DAUGHTER — A DESERTED 

VILLAGE A DELICACY WRECK OF THE RESCUE . — THE GEORG- 

IANA SAVED CAPT. PARKER TOOKOOLITO A GENEROUS OFFER 

A SUDDEN CHANGE A STRANGE CUSTOM IN A STARVING 

CONDITION ROBBED BY DOGS — -HALL TAKES UP HIS RESIDENCE 

WITH INNUITS. 

On the 17th the ship entered Nu-gum-mi-uke Bay, which was found 
to be a good harbor, and where she remained until the 21st. During 
their stay the crew engaged in whaling, and Mr. Hall devoted his atten- 
tion to the natives, and to visiting some of the islands which abounded in 
the bay. Leaving this bay the captain shaped his course for Frobisher 
Stmits, which were reached the following day, and the anchor was 
dropped in a beautiful little inlet which was named after Richard H. 
Chappell, of New London, Conn. On going ashore it was found that 
they were separated from the waters just left by a strip of land less than 
a mile in width, and which was so low that high tides would probably 
cover it. The isthmus was sandy in portions, while in others it was 
covered with rock and shale. From a ridge of rocks named Morgan's 
Hill, a fine view of the beautiful strait was enjoyed. Facing the party 
was the celebrated Strait of Frobisher, and beyond it in the distance, 
Meta Incognita, named by Queen Elizabeth, and sailed upon by 
Frobisher two hundred and eighty-two years previously. 

Although forty miles distant, the land on the opposite side of the 

straits was clearly seen, and had the appearance of being topped with a 

long line of ice or snow. When this land was visited several months 

subsequently, it was found to be an enormous glacier, which was named 

after Henry Grinnell. To the west the mountains seemed to unite with 

the narrow strip, and a week later it was learned that the water was a 

557 



558 A GRIEF-STRICKEN DAUGHTER. 

bay, and not; a strait. Many specimens of fossils were found on the nar- 
row strip, from which selections were made and taken on board. 

The next morning the Rescue was again on her way toward the 
George Henry, having a narrow escape from some rocks on the way out 
of the bay. During the afternoon family boats of the natives, filled with 
women and men, approached, and were taken on deck. Among the 
visitors was Kudlago's eldest daughter, a beautiful young woman, named 
Kok-er-zhun. She learned of her father's death for the first time upon 
going on board, and was grief-stricken. 

On Friday, Aug. 34th, a native drew for Mr. Hall a chart of 
Northumberland Inlet, Bear Sound, and adjacent lands, and signified a 
willingness to accompany the expedition next year. On the following 
day natives who had visited the land gave assurance that Frobisher 
Strait is an inlet or hay, each one declaring that there was no other water 
communication to Fox's Channel except through Hudson's Strait. In 
examining with the natives the charts of that time, many inaccuracies 
were found, and it was discovered that the Esquimaux possessed a won- 
derful knowledge of their country; in fact, any of them can delineate to 
the minutest detail, any portion of the country once visited by them, and 
their memory is remarkably good; so that from the information imparted 
by them Hall arrived at the conclusion that no passage existed in the 
direction of Frobisher Strait. 

On the morning of the 30th a trip was made to a large island, on 
which was found a deserted Esquimaux settlement of fifty huts. At the 
time the settlement was visited the Esquimaux had abandoned the plan 
of building huts, and lived entirely in snow houses. Another curiosity 
noticed here was a dog-sledge, used by the natives in their winter excur- 
sions. It was ten feet in length, the runners of one and a half inch 
plank, and shod with the jaw bone of the whale. The width was thirty 
inches, and the cross bars fastened by strings of whalebone. The Esqui- 
maux are very fond of the skin of the Greenland whale, which they eat 
raw, as they do also the meat of the whale, and which travelers in that 
region consider a good practice — at least for the better preservation of 
their health. The whale meat is described as being: " white and delicious 



WRECK OF THE RESCUE. 559 

as the breast of a Thanksgiving turkey." The Esquimaux masticate it 
by getting vast pieces into their distended mouths, and then, boa constric- 
tor-like, first lubricate them, and so swallow them quite whole. On the 
5th of September a large piece of what was supposed to be iron ore, 
weighing nineteen pounds, was found on Lookout Island, and was after- 
ward proved to be a relic of Frobisher's Expedition. 

During the month of September, up to the latter part, nothing of 
interest occurred to the expedition. The time was passed principally in 
making short trips from the ship in various directions, in the course of 
which those engaged in them on several occasions met with minor 
accidents and mishaps. Quite a number of natives visited Mr. Hall, and 
during their stay he gained from them much valuable information for 
future use. 

On the 26th light winds conlmenced to blow from the north- 
east, steadily increasing in force until the following day, when they as- 
sumed the proportions of a gale, being accompanied by snow. At 8 
o'clock in the evening all the anchors were let go. An hour later the 
Rescue commenced dragging her anchors, and soon after the Georgiana. J 
commanded by Capt. Tyson, was in the same predicament. The gale 
soon increased to a hurricane, and by midnight the two ships named were 
drifting toward the rocks. The Georgiana worried around a point on 
the land and got into comparatively smooth water, although she was at 
last grounded. The crew, expecting she would go to pieces, deserted 
her and went on the island. The Rescue was less fortunate, and drifted 
helplessly toward the rocks, where she landed on her broadsides. The 
expedition boat upon which Mr. Hall depended so much, was also torn 
from her moorings, and dashed to pieces. When morning dawned both 
vessels were seen pounding against the breakers, and assistance was im- 
mediately sent them. Capt. Tyson and his crew were removed in safety 
to the George Henry. The storm continued with unabated fury through- 
out the day, but the following morning the gale abated, and a party went 
ashore. The Rescue was found to be a total wreck, and had to be left to 
go to pieces. The Georgiana was found to be perfectly tight and com- 
paratively uninjured, and her crew again took possession of her, towed 



560 TOOKOOLITO. 

her off the rocks, and once more anchored her in deep water. The 
escape of the George Henry was almost miraculous, but she did not long 
survive her partner in adversity. .She was wrecked July 16, 1863, on 
one of the lower Savage Islands in Hudson's Strait, about one hundred 
miles further south than Rescue Harbor. The Georgiana made good 
her defects, and on October 1st set sail for Northumberland Inlet to 
winter. 

During the months of October and November the time passed rather 
monotonously, and during that time Mr. Hall devoted most of his time 
to observations of the display of aurora, which were beautiful beyond 
description. On the 13th of October the expedition was startled by an un- 
expected arrival. A steamer and a sailing vessel came up from the sea, 
and anchored on the opposite side of Field Bay. The discovery was 
soon made that the strangers were the famous Capt. Parker, of the True 
Love, and his son, commanding the steamship Lady Celia. They had 
made the trip from Cornelius Grinnell's Bay in less than a day. A visit 
to the strangers was immediately planned and executed. When seen by 
Mr. Hall, Capt. Parker was sixty-nine years old, and had been navigat- 
ing the Arctic regions forty-five years. His ship at that time was a hun- 
dred years old, was built in Philadelphia, Pa., and had taken part in 
many of the searching expeditions. Capt. Parker examined the plans of 
the expedition, in which he took a deep interest, and promised an addi- 
tional boat, which was much needed in the transportation of supplies, 
but which promise, unfortunately, was never fulfilled, as the ships were 
driven to sea by a gale a few days later, and did not return. 

Mr. Hall relates that on November 2 he was surprised by a visit of 
an Esquimaux lady, dressed in European habiliments and speaking fluently 
the English language. She was Tookoolito, who, with her husband 
Ebierbing, had spent twenty months in England, where she had made 
the most of her advantages. Her husband was less accustomed to the 
English tongue, but could carry on a conversation in that language. A 
visit to their home a few days later showed a happy state of affairs. The 
tent was as comfortable as the surroundings could make it, and Tookoo- 
lito was engaged in knitting socks for her husband. Not only this, out she 



A GENEROUS OFFER. 561 

taught all who wanted to learn it the same occupation, and had succeeded 
in inaugurating quite a number of useful European habits and customs 
among her neighbors. She complained that many of the whalers 
were bad men, and contaminated the natives. She complained in partic- 
ular of the Americans, who swore more and worse than their English 
brethren. 

While on shore for water one day in the latter part of October, Mr. 
Hall "was initiated into the mysteries of Esquimaux worship. Seeing 
an excited crowd gathered around a man who had them completely un- 
der his control, and made them obey his every word and gesture, he was 
informed that this important personage was an angeko, or wizard. 
Though young he seemed to have the unbounded confidence of the na- 
tives, upon whose credulity and ignorance he lived at his ease. He carried 
on his ceremonies in a tent, into which Mr. Hall -was taken to behold the 
exhibition, and at the close this great man insisted upon giving him one 
of his wives; to which proposition the women assented, each one trying 
to make herself as agreeable to the stranger as possible. 

On the 19th of November the ice from the head of the bay com- 
menced bearing down on the ship, and by the 6th of the following month 
she was secured in the solid ice for the winter, and the boats were dis- 
mantled, not to be used again for about nine months. 

The Esquimaux lamp is one of the institutions peculiar to this region. 
It is made of stone and is supported on three legs. Without it they could 
not exist. Their homes are lighted and warmed by it; it melts ice or 
snow for their drinks, and by its heat they dry their clothing, mittens, 
boots, and stockings. As oil seal blubber is used, and forms a very good 
substitute for petroleum. 

December came in with a calm which continued four days. On the 
8th the thermometer stood at zero, and a day later, 15 below that point. 
The ice was solid around the ship in her winter quarters, and the Esqui- 
maux visited her in large numbers daily, often remaining on board over 
night and sleeping in the cabin. They went on various errands — some 
merely as visitors, some to see what they could secure in the way of 
presents, and others to do some trading. The last mentioned brought 



562 A STRANGE CUSTOM. 

with them skins which they exchanged for knives and other articles. 
The dresses made by the Innuit women were of a superior quality in 
every respect, and found a ready sale on board. 

The temperature changed very suddenly as the month drew to a 
close. On the 19th the thermometer was 20 below zero, and the ba- 
rometer 30.175, yet the weather was calm and seemed no colder than at 
the commencement of the season, when the thermometer stood at 32 . 
On the 20th the thermometer had risen to 5 below zero early in the 
morning, and kept rising until night, when it indicated 14 above, with 
a gale blowing and a general breaking up of the ice in Field Bay, and 
the harbor in which the ship was laid up. On the 21st the thermometer 
stood 2 1 °, and the bay was almost clear of ice. Considerable rain fell 
during the night, and next morning the thermometer was 32^°, or a 
half degree above the freezing point. This placed the natives in a sad 
plight. It demolished their snow houses, and rendered them homeless. 
The rain continued on the 2 2d, jDreventing "the natives from seal fishing, 
and causing much distress among them. What food could be spared 
from the ship was distributed among them, and cracklings, which had 
been taken along as dog feed, were considered a great delicacy. On the 
30th of December the thermometer had again retired to zero, and six 
days later was 2S below that point. The bay and harbor were again 
covered with ice, and the men resumed their seal fishing. 

About this time it was discovered that the natives treat their friends 
with the utmost neglect when they are overtaken by sickness. When 
death approaches, a tomb is erected for the victim, to which he or she is 
carried, placed within, the entrance closed with blocks of snow and ice, 
and the person is left in this living tomb to die alone, uncared for. 
They believe that should any be present at the death, they must discard 
the clothes then worn, and never wear them again. The funeral service 
is very simple. The corpse is carried over the shoulder, much as a 
sportsman carries his gun, to its final resting place, where a hole is dug 
in the snow and ice, in which it is deposited, covered up, and left there. 

Having determined upon an exploration trip to Cornelius Grinned 
Bay, Mr, Hall, in company with Ebierbing, Tookoolito, and Koodloo, 



A STORM. 563 

started on Thursday, Jan. 10, by sledge and dogs, with provisions for 
several days. When they reached the shore they started north, and late 
in the afternoon neared the frozen waters of the ocean, on the margin of 
which the cliffs were almost perpendicular, making it necessary for the 
party to lower the sledge down to the ice below. The journey was con- 
tinued until 5 p. M., when the party halted, erected an ice hut, and 
camped for the night. Every article on the sledge was taken in, and 
the entrance closed, the dogs being left outside. During each night in 
these huts the clothing of the occupants is hung over the lamp for dry- 
ing, and carefully attended to by the women, who also make any neces- 
sary repairs. This was Mr. Hall's first night in one of these huts, and 
he records that he slept as comfortably as he could wish. 

The journey was resumed in the morning. The course was due 
north, but owing to the innumerable hummocks in the ice it was not 
direct, and the party only made five miles during the day. It was ex- 
pected that the journey would be made in one day, but the obstacles were 
so great that the second night found them far away from their destina- 
tion. To add to the complications a storm came up, and they had just 
secured shelter when it buist upon them in all its fury, in their ice abode 
on the frozen sea. It continued all night long, and on the third morning 
of their journey they found it impossible to proceed. In the afternoon it 
was discovered that the ice was breaking, and the water made its ap- 
pearance not more than ten rods from them. They became seriously 
alarmed, and consulted as to whether they should attempt to reach the 
land, which was three miles distant, or remain in their quarters and take 
the chance of being carried out to sea. They decided upon the latter 
course, and eagerly awaited the coming of another day. The gale 
abated about 10 p. m., and in the morning the weather was favorable. 
Proceeding on their way, they had every difficulty to contend with. The 
ice had given away in every direction. The snow was very deep and 
treacherous, and it was with great difficulty that the sledge could be 
moved so as to guard it against falling into some snow-covered ice-crack. 
The dogs also were in a starving condition. Each member of the party 
took the lead by turns, to guard against the dangers which beset them, 



564 ROBBED BT DOGS. 

and to find a track through the hummocks which met them on all sides. 
By 2 p. m. the entire party were in such an exhausted condition that 
they were compelled to halt and partake of their now very slender stock 
of provisions. After this they proceeded with renewed vigor, reaching the 
shore ice in safety, and in a short time they were alongside of Ugarng's 
igloo (ice hut), built on the southwest side of Rogers' Island, overlook- 
ing Cornelius Grinnell Bay. 

On the following day, Jan. 15, the explorations commenced. Rab- 
bit tracks were discovered on the hills, and in the distance were seen 
the prominent headlands noticed on the first arrival of the ship. In the 
meantime the provisions gave out, and the party found themselves 
without food or light, with the thermometer 25 below zero. The na- 
tives met with no success in hunting or seal fishing, but brought to the 
hut with them some black skin and kuang, which they had obtained 
from a cache made the previous fall by the natives, when the ship was 
in the bay. At noon next day a heavy snowstorm set in, which con- 
tinued nearly four days, confining the party to the hut, and compelling 
them to live on raw frozen black skin, kuang, and seal. 

On Sunday, the 20th, they were in a sad state from actual want of 
food. The weather continued so forbidding that nothing could be ob- 
tained by hunting. At 8 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Hall and Kood- 
loo, one of his native companions, started to return to the ship with 
a sledge, and twelve nearly starved dogs. A speedy trip was antici- 
pated, but the difficulties encountered were so great that Ebierbing fol- 
lowed them on snow shoes, and taking his place, sent Mr. Hall back to 
the huts to await their return. The supply of food was exhausted with- 
out any apparent prospect of obtaining a supply. Christmas eve found 
the party with nothing left but a piece of black skin, one and a quarter 
inch wide, two inches long, and three-quarters of an inch thick. Dur- 
ing the night one of the natives came to the hut with some choice mor- 
sels cut from a seal which he had just caught, but he had no sooner en- 
tered than a starving dog which had been allowed to sleep in the hut 
over night, sprang at the meat and ate a fair share of it. Before the 
party recovered from their surprise, the remaining hungry dogs made a 



APPEARANCE OF SCURVT. 565 

rush from the outside and devoured the remainder. The next morning 
Ebierbing arrived from the ship with supplies, and a seal weighing at 
least two hundred pounds, thereby raising the siege of starvation by sup- 
plying the wants of all. A letter from one of the officers of the ship 
stated that the exploring - party had been given up for lost in the great 
storm which they encountered on their journey. 

In speaking of the Innuit people, Mr. Hall says they are noted chiefly 
for their thoughtlessness and improvidence. When they have an abund- 
ant supply of food they devour it all as fast as they can without consid- 
ering that on the day following they may be in absolute want, and no 
course of reasoning can induce them to change in this respect. 

February 16 Mr. Hall once more started on an exploring expedi- 
tion, arriving the same afternoon at Clark's Harbor, and proceeding at 
once to Allen's Island, where he remained two days at Ugarng's igloo, 
curiously watching the various efforts made to sustain and enjoy life by 
the singular people of the north. He spent forty-two nights in an 
igloo, living with the natives most of their time on their food according 
to their own customs, and said he had no regrets in looking back upon 
his experience, but on the contrary, enjoyed his life so spent as well as 
he did under the most favorable circumstances. On the 21st he bade 
adieu to his Innuit friends and started on his return to the ship, accom- 
panied by Ebierbing, Ugarng and Kunniu, taking with them the sledge 
and dogs. The journey was devoid of accident or excitement, and the 
party reached the ship on the evening of the same day. 

A number of the natives had built igloos on the ice in the vicinity of 
the ship, but at that time they were deserted for the fishing grounds at 
Frobisher Bay. When he visited the crew the next day, Mr. 
Hall found two of the men afflicted with scurvy, the legs of one of 
them from the knees down being as black as tar. Both of them were 
sent to Frobisher Bay to live with the natives in their igloos, in the hope 
that it would effect a cure. 



CHAPTER LXIII. 

A DEER KILLED BY DOGS FROZEN TO DEATH THE APPROACH OF 

SPRING BAYARD TAYLOR PASS A NATIVE HISTORIAN THE 

BREEDING PLACE OF THE DEER THE "DREADED LAND " SUB- 
SISTENCE IN ARCTIC REGIONS AN UNSAFE BOAT AN IMPOR- 
TANT JOURNEY POSTPONED. 

One morning early in March one of the men reported reindeer in 
sight upon the ice. Koojesse was armed with a rifle, and sent in pursuit. 
He succeeded in getting a shot, but missed. This roused the dogs and 
they immediately gave chase, in spite of all efforts to restrain them. A 
fine Greenland animal soon took the lead, and maintained it. Soon all 
were lost to sight and nothing further was thought of the matter until 
the dog returned to the ship about mid-day, covered with blood. His 
actions led a number of the men to follow him on the ice, and he led 
them to a spot where they found a dead deer, with its jugular and wind- 
pipe neatly cut by the fangs of the dog, a feat never known to have been 
accomplished by a dog before. 

On the 1 7th of March John Brown, one of the scurvy patients, 
determined to return to the ship with some natives who were about to 
make the journey, and started with them. On the way they were com- 
pelled to stop and cache some of their supplies, and, becoming impatient 
over the delay, Brown decided to proceed alone. No amount of reason- 
ing or persuasion would make him desist, and with a dog to guide him, 
he started on his journey. The same night the natives arrived at the ship 
and retired. The next morning Brown was missed, and parties were at 
once sent out in search of him. He was not found until late in the eve- 
ning, when his frozen body was discovered at the foot of an iceberg 
seventeen miles from the ship. 

Nothing especially worthy of note occurred until March 28, when 

566 



APPROACH OF SPRING. . 567 

Bruce, the companion of Brown, came very near meeting a similar fate. 
He was still afflicted with scurvy, and had been again sent to an Innuit 
settlement. On the morning of the day mentioned he determined upon 
returning to the ship. He was accompanied by an Innuit woman, and 
had it not been for her strenuous exertions he would certainly have lost 
his life. On the same day Mate Rogers started for the whaling depot 
at Frobisher Bay, taking with him such articles as were required for 
spring operations, and a sledge and dogs, driven by Koojesse. The jour- 
ney was made without difficulty until noon, when a gale, accompanied 
by thick-falling snow, set in, and they were compelled to retrace their 
steps. After battling the storm for ten hours they reached the goal, more 
dead than alive. 

About this time there were unmistakable evidences of the approach 
of spring, and on April 8 the cooking apparatus and other materials 
were moved up from their winter quarters below, and four days later the 
weather was described as being so " gloriously fine" that Capt. Hall 
made a trip up Buddington Mount, which was described as very dan- 
gerous on account of the steepness of the incline, and its hard, snow- 
covered sides. Three days later a long tramp was taken round the head 
of Field Bay, for triangulating and making observations, and on April 
16 Capt. Hall made his first lunar observation. Four days afterward 
the snow embankment around the ship was removed, and the crew com- 
menced putting her in complete order for service. 

On the morning of Monday, April 3 2, Capt. Hall started upon his 
first trip into Frobisher Bay. The course from the ship was westerly to 
the other side of Field Bay, from whence they went over a mountain 
pass which was named after Bayard Taylor. After passing through a 
gorge they arrived at a small inlet leading up from an arm of Countess 
of Warwick Sound. After traversing the inlet a very short distance 
they came to an abrupt turn in the mountain, and caught sight of Fro- 
bisher Bay, and the mountains of Kingaite beyond. Proceeding to one 
of the islands they remained with an Innuit family all night. Next morn- 
ing Capt. Hall ascended to the summit of a mountain close by, from 
whence he had a fine view of the bay, but was disappointed in discover- 



568 A NATIVE HISTORIAN. 

ing that the ice had broken up on its surface, which would prevent him 
from making his contemplated sledge-journey to the westward. He also 
saw from his pinnacle Resolution Island and Meta Incognita. Many 
small pieces of limestone were found on top of the mountain. De- 
scending he again passed the night in an Innuit igloo, and next morning 
started for another village. Taking a course over the hilly center of the 
island he arrived at his destination after walking about three miles. 
Two days were spent here taking observations, after which the trip was 
resumed. The breaking up and absence of sea ice caused the partv to 
encounter many difficulties in making their way along the shore. As 
they traveled forward, the mountains of Kingaite loomed up in mag- 
nificent grandeur, and the explorer was struck with the idea that more 
than land existed there; and in truth, it was solid ice, which the natives 
said had never been known to change. 

About dark they reached the south point of the island of Nonyain, 
where they expected to find an Innuit village, but were disappointed, and 
were compelled to construct an igloo out of a snowbank, in which 
they lodged for the night, though not without an intruder. The tide 
poured in upon them without ceremony, but retired without inflicting 
serious damage. In that region the rise of the tide at its full is thirty 
feet. On Saturday, April 24, the party started on the return journey, 
and on the following Monday they arrived safely on board the ship, after 
an absence of eight days. Immediately after arriving on board, Capt. 
Hall had an attack of snow-blindness, which continued a few days. On 
the last day of April the ice-fetters were stricken from the ship, and she 
floated two feet higher in the water, having become so much lighter 
through the consumption of stores since the period of freezing in. 

One day early in May, Capt. Hall went ashore at Cooper's Island, in 
Rescue Harbor, to talk with an Innuit woman who was acquainted with 
nearly a hundred years of the traditions of her race. From her he learned 
that upon Nionutelik Island she had seen bricks and coal, and pieces 
of timber of various sizes, and that she had often heard from old Innuits 
that, many years before, ships had landed there with a great number of 
people; that when a little girl she had heard of these people killing 



AN OASIS. 



569 




several Innuits and taking away two Innuit women who were never 
again heard of, and that they came every year; first two, then three, and 
then a great many ships. She also told of five white men who were 
captured by the Innuit people at the time of the appearance of the ships 
a great many years ago ; that these men wintered on shore ; that they 
lived among the Innuits ; that they afterward built a large boat, with 
mast and sails; that they endeavored to get away, and that they finally 
succeeded in doing so after much trouble, and were never again heard of. 

As all this was located upon the island upon 

which Frobisher landed it was compared 

- ,'.-.•" %t'r with written history, and they were found to 

-'/.:.._ correspond, which determined Hall to visit 

W£y\ Nionutelik, the island referred to, for the 

jjjjjt purpose of gaining further information. 

Before leaving for the Frobisher waters, 
^g an examination trip was made to the head 
of Field Bay. Traveling was impeded, and 
seven hours were consumed in reaching the 
shore. From the top of a small rocky hill 
was discovered to the west a long and narrow 
lakelet, extending in a northerly direction to 
the base of Alden Mountain. After resum- 
ing the journey, a beautiful grassy plain was 
reached, which was quite destitute of snow, 
and surrounded by rugged, somber, rocky 
innuit woman's hbad-dress. mountains, making it appear as an oasis in 
the great desert of ice and snow. Running northwest from the plain 
near Alden Mountain, was another plain extending in every direction 
as far as the eye could reach. This led the explorer to the belief 
that at that time Arctic navigators knew very little of the interior 
of the country, as they rarely saw and explored aught but the coasts. 
Judging from information afterward obtained, these plains are the 
breeding places of the deer. After traveling about twenty-five miles the 
explorer arrived on shipboard again at 3 o'clock the following morning. 




570 THE DREADED LAND. 

On the 37th of May, Capt. Hall, accompanied by a number of natives, 
started on the long-expected expedition, but before they had gone far they 
were compelled to return to the ship, as it was found impossible to make 
the journey by sledge. It was the intention, however, to spend a day or 
two on the islands of Opungnewing and Nionutelik before making the 
return trip; but this also had to be abandoned in the face of a storm, and 
the party hurried back as fast as they could. Soon after arriving on 
board again, a party of Sekoselar Innuits arrived, and imparted some 
valuable information concerning white people who had in years gone by 
visited their country. 

Early in June the journey to the "Dreaded Land," as it is called by 
the Esquimaux, was commenced again by sledge. The progress was 
very slow at first. The direction first taken was toward Dillon Moun- 
tain, latitude 62 ° 32' north, at the east end of Fox's Land, an island on 
the east side of Bear .Sound and Lupton Channel, twelve miles in width, 
its center being in latitude 62 ° 29' north, longitude 64 ° 28' west. The 
hummocks caused the party to change their course to due south toward 
Lupton Channel. Bad weather compelled them to encamp on an island 
which was named Sylvia, its highest point being five hundred feet above 
the sea. From the elevation could be seen the open "water of Lupton's 
Channel, which the natives say never freezes over, in consequence of the 
swiftly running tides. On the yth of June they left the island, and the 
same afternoon arrived at the base of Jones' Tower, latitude 62 ° 33' 
north, longitude 64 34' west. From the top of this mountain the view 
■was extensive, but Frobisher Bay could not be seen, although it was not 
thought to be distant more than seven miles. 

The following morning the journey was resumed, and the shore of 
the "dreaded land" was found to present many interesting features, on 
account of its newness and associations. About six miles from Jones' 
Tow 7 er they reached Cape Daly, the termination of a neck of land dis- 
tinguished by a remarkable gap in its ridge. Pushing forward they 
reached Cape Hayes — the most northerly point of Hudson's Island, 
where they again prospected. At this time Hall's Island was less than 
two miles distant, but it was impossible to reach it on account of the 



NORTH FORELAND. 571 

rugged ice with which M'Clinto'ck Channel was firmly packed. At 
Cape Hayes were found circles of stones, which had been placed there 
years before by the Innuits who formerly inhabited this now forsaken 
land. The next day the party pursued its journey through Dr. Kane's 
Channel, which connects Frobisher Bay and Field Bay. Seals were 
very numerous in this locality, and bear tracks were also discovered. 
When they arrived at the point from whence it was expected to see the 
entrance to Frobisher Bay, there was great astonishment at discovering 
a short distance off, open water, with numerous icebergs drifting; a 
heavy sea rolling in and beating on the edge of the floe. 

They had now neared the land; and when within half a mile of 
"Hall's smaller island" of Frobisher, Capt. Hall went on by himself. 
Bear tracks were seen on all sides, and other evidences presented them- 
selves sufficient to show that that outcast region was one of plenty in- 
stead of barrenness. After a thorough inspection the party retraced 
their steps to the encampment, where they arrived safely a day later. 
From the mountain top in the rear of the camp bearings were taken of 
various prominent places. It was determined to set out on the return to 
the ship on Wednesday, June 12, but before doing so Capt. Hall visited 
the utmost extreme of land — -the "North Foreland" of Frobisher. The 
channel between the islands was free from ice, save at its west end, and 
presented an animated picture of life, for seals and aquatic birds in great 
variety were sporting there. After a laborious walk he reached "North 
Foreland," the goal of his ambition in that trip. The view was en- 
chanting. As far as the eye could reach, the sea was open. North Fore- 
land presented a bold front. Its elevation was several hundred feet, and 
the mighty waves were dashing in quick succession against this rocky 
rampart. Nearly south of this point are three islets, the nearest being a 
quarter of a mile from the shore. The largest is a quarter of a mile 
long, and the others are very small. In every direction were seen traces 
of reindeer and rabbits. After remaining an hour on this interesting 
spot, taking bearings of distant objects, he returned to the encampment, 
where everything was found to be in readiness for their departure. 

The start was made in the forenoon, and the route selected was the 



572 A DISAPPOINTMENT. 

one traveled by them three times before. A gale sprang up during the 
day, and fears were entertained that it would break up the ice. Great 
difficulty was experienced in erecting the tent, but it was accomplished 
at last, and the crevices were filled with moss in such a manner that it 
was almost impossible for the fine snow to enter. Thev were compelled 
to remain in the tent until Friday, the 14th, when the journey was re- 
sumed. They progressed very well until they struck out on a straight 
course for the ship, when they found the situation alarming. The ice 
was broken into every conceivable form and size, but it was their only 
chance, and they seized the opportunity. The distance was accomplished 
safely, though with fear and trembling, and they arrived at the ship on 
Saturday morning. As an evidence of what can be secured in the polar 
regions to sustain life, it may be interesting to state that during an ab- 
sence of ten days the party obtained : 

1 Polar bear 1,000 pounds. 

1 ookgook (largest sized seal) i)5oo " 

9 seals i,Soo " 

Total.. 4,300 " 

In addition to this they had an abundance of skin for clothing, and oil 
for fuel and light. 

A few days were devoted to rest and .making preparations for the 
long-desired visit to King William's Land About this time another 
heavy gale swept across the bay for three days, but the ice remained 
firm, and the ship was uninjured. Word was received from the whaling 
depot that the officers and crew stationed there were quite well, though 
unsuccessful, and soon after Capt. Hall, accompanied by Koojesse, started 
to join them, arriving at the destination early next morning. After an 
exchange of greetings an examination of the shore was made, and every- 
where along the beach fragments of limestone were found in abundance. 

One of the principal objects of the visit to the depot was to make 
preparations for the departure to King William's Land, and to consult 
with Capt. B. respecting it. Great was the sorrow on both sides, when 
Capt. Hall was assured by his friend that the whaling boat promised him 



EGG-HUNTING. 573 

for the expedition was in every respect inadequate for the work which it 
was proposed to impose upon it. He showed clearly that it could not 
carry the necessary quantity of provisions for the men required, which 
impressed the explorer with the belief that he would have to postpone 
his proposed expedition- for a year, or until he could return to the States 
and procure a suitable boat. 

The weather being fine, an expedition was planned for the explora- 
tion of the surrounding coast, made famous by Frobisher's voyages in 
the sixteenth century. The start was made with a young native, who, 
however, proved to be a hindrance. The journey was tedious in the 
extreme. The shore-ice was covered with soft snow, and a point of land 
not more than two and a half miles distant could only be reached by a 
walk of fifteen miles, after which a long circuit had to be made around 
some rocks. Nothing was accomplished on this trip, and the party 
returned to the depot. 

Much of the time was devoted to duck hunting and eg-a- gathering. 
A party of four succeeded in gathering six dozen eggs at one point in 
ten minutes. At another place they got sixteen dozen and five in twenty 
minutes. The ducks always replaced the eggs, which made the supply 
equal to the demand. Many birds were shot, but the swift tide pre- 
vented the hunters from securing the game. Ice bridges were found in 
abundance, and many of the islands in Bear Sound are united by these 
curious provisions of nature. 

On June 29, Captains Hall and B. returned to the George Henry, and 
a few days later the Fourth of July was celebrated by a grand explosion 
of a rusty gun-barrel. At this time there was a fair prospect that the 
bay would soon be free from ice, and that the ship would get away to 
other quarters. 




CHAPTER LXIV. 

THE SHIP FREE A SERIES OF ADVENTURES IRON ISLAND JONES' 

CAPE CAPE STEVENS FRESH WATERS PEALE POINT JOR- 
DAN'S RIVER THE RETURN COAL COUNTESS OF WARWICK'S 

SOUND HOMEWARD BOUND. 

On July 17, 1861, the ship was once more free from the ice which 
had bound her for eight months, and swung her chains in Rescue Har- 
bor. But it was only in a pool that she was free, for ice yet remained 
between the anchorage and the main bay. The greater portion of the 
crew were again at the whaling depot, ■when a boat was sent them, but 
they were meeting with no success. At this time the heat was very 
great, the mercury standing 95 ° in the sun, preventing work of all kinds, 
unless one was clad in the lightest garments. On the 27th the ice in the 
vicinity of the vessel began to move, and it was with great difficulty that 
the crew succeeded in keeping it from crushing the ship. A day later the 
men who had remained at the whaling depot were summoned to return 
to the ship. The return of the crew and breaking up of the ice were 
the signal for a departure to another place in search of whales. 

On Tuesday, the 30th, the George Henry took her departure from 
the bay, leaving Capt. Hall to push his explorations as best he might. 
He took up his abode with Ebierhing, and was the only white man left 
in that locality. The next day it blew a gale, and the ship again sought 
shelter in the bay, where she remained for some time. 

At this time Capt. Hall was busily engaged in the selection of a 

crew that should accompany him on his expedition. He succeeded in 

securing six good natives, and eveiything being ready for the start 

on Friday, Aug. 9, on that day he set out from the ship. That 

evening they reached the entrance to Lupton's Channel, and made their 

first encampment in a small cove on the southeast side of Bache's Pe- 

574 



A SERIES OF ADVENTURES. 575 

ninsula, and opposite Ellis Island, where they found relics of former 
Innuit encampments. The voyage was continued the following 
morning. At Cape True a rest was taken for an examination 
of the deserted place. At that time there was no ice on Frobisher Bay 
with the exception of a few bergs. The second encampment was at 
Cape Cracroft, latitude 62 41' 30" north, longitude 65 7' west. The 
next stopping place was at Oopungnewing Island, where the members 
of the party were very much annoyed by mosquitoes. On the 11th of 
August three of the crew were selected to accompany the explorers to 
Nionutelik, which was reached in safety, although rough weather was 
encountered. Search was made for fragments of brick and relics, but 
none were found. The journey was continued around the island, and at 
last the relic hunter was rewarded by rinding pieces of sea coal which 
had been taken there by Frobisher in 157S. No other relics were found, 
and the parties returned to the encampment. The journey was resumed 
in the morning. The examination made of the surroundings was not 
thorough, as it was the intention to continue the journey at another time 
and in a more complete manner. However, a constant record was kept 
of distances run and courses steered, and landings were made as fre- 
quently as possible to take observations for latitude, longitude, and 
variations of the compass. 

Iron Island, named so because of the resemblance of its rocks to ox- 
idized iron, was found to be an interesting place. Innuit monumental 
marks were found; also an excellent piece of live oak timber, from some 
wreck. 

Jones' Cape was selected as the next place of encampment. It is in 
latitude 62 ° 55' 30" north, longitude 65 ° 45' west. A snug harbor was 
found, and the natives received the parties kindly. Some remarkable 
monuments of stone were found here, one being about six feet high, and 
in the form of a cross. Capt. Hall declared Jones Cape to be one of the 
finest places he had seen in the north. Force's Sound is nearly sur- 
rounded by magnificent mountains, and is sheltered from winds and 
heavy seas by numerous islands. On Aug. 14 a mountain in the rear of the 
encampment was ascended, from the summit of which could be plainly 



576 IRON ISLAND. 

seen more than fifty miles of the Kingaite coast, the nearest point being 
distant about thirty miles. The peculiar variety of stone found upon 
Iron Island was also found there, and also limestone upon the summit, 
about a thousand feet above the sea level. 

The expedition next pushed westerly across the east arm of the bay, 
but had to change its course on account of a heavy sea, and again landed on 
the island, near its center, after which it proceeded to the southeastern 
extreme of Barrow's Peninsula. The next point reached was Hamlin's 
Bay, which had to be crossed. The sixth encampment was made on 
Blanchard's Island, and the seventh at Tongue Cape, near the entrance 
of Waddell Bay. A native was here found who had seen pieces of 
iron, brick and coal in that locality, but who said they had been carried 
away years before when he was a boy. The expedition continued its 
course along the coast, closely examining its features, and noting down 
everything of importance which was seen. The land was bold and 
high, with much of the iron rust look about it. Scarcely any vegetation 
was to be seen. Numberless islands bordered the coast, and it looked as 
though a complete chain reached across the bay to Kingaite. 

Cape Stevens was the eighth camping ground. On a mountain top 
close by were found shells and fossils, some of which were taken away. 
This particular mountain was described as being very grand and rugged. 
One side was perpendicular, and contained large caverns, with huge 
projecting rocks hanging over them. 

Numerous small bergs were encountered during the next few days, 
which had been left high and dry on the rocks near the coast by the 
ebbing of the low spring tide. Capt. Hall went ashore on the north 
side of the island, " Frobisher's Farthest," from the summit of which 
the bay seemed to continue on between two headlands, one the termina- 
tion of the ridge of mountains on the Kingaite, and the other the ter- 
mination of the ridge running on the north side of Frobisher's Bay. The 
coast of Kingaite was in full view from the " Great Gateway " down to 
the " President's Seat," a distance of one hundred nautical miles. A 
line of islands — their number legion — shoot down from " Frobisher's 
Farthest " to the Kingaite. 



STLVIA GRINNELL RIVER. 577 

The next morning, Aug. 33, an exploration of the hills was un- 
dertaken. Mountains near the coast on that side of the bay had disap- 
peared, the land being comparatively low, and covered with verdure. 
When all the party had again gone on the boat and proceeded some distance 
further, they found themselves navigating in fresh waters. It was clear 
the river was of considerable size, or it could not throw out such a vol- 
ume of fresh water to a considerable distance from its mouth against an 
incoming tide. After proceeding a short distance further it was found 
that the waters were alive with salmon. The reindeer also abounded 
in that region, and the members of the party had no trouble in feasting 
themselves upon all the delicacies of the season. The waters of the 
river were pure as crystal, and it was named Sylvia Grinnell River. For 
the first half mile from the sea proper it runs quietly. The next quarter 
of a mile it falls about fifteen feet, rushing rapidly over rocks. The 
next mile is on a level, when it again takes a fall of about ten feet to a 
fifth of a mile, after which its course is through low, level land. The 
banks for two miles are of boulders, thence, in some cases, boulders and 
grass. Two miles above the point where it enters the sea, on the east 
side, is the neck of a plain which grows wider and wider as it extends 
back. From the point "where it was seen it looked as though it was 
very extensive. On the east side as far as could be seen there was a 
ridge of mountains. On the west side was a plain of a quarter to a 
half mile in width. 

Thursday morning, Aug. 29, the party -was again under headway in a 
due west course. An indentation of the coast, at the head of which was a 
grassy plain, was soon passed, and as Peale Point was approached it was 
found to be fringed with many islets. The Point consists of rugged 
rocks which attain a greater elevation than any other land at the head 
proper of Frobisher Bay. The beach was sandy, and contained large 
and remarkable time-worn boulders. In the afternoon they entered the 
channel, with Kingaite on the right, and Bishop's Island on the left. 
The coast was steep, but in many places covered with grass and vege- 
tation. The entrance is about half a mile wide, and after proceeding a 

quarter of a mile they reached a fine harbor not less than two and a 
37 



578 JORDAN'S RIVER. 

half miles in diameter, on the west side of which they encamped. 
Making his way to the crest of a high hill, Capt. Hall placed there the 
Stars and Stripes. This encampment was left the following afternoon, 
some articles being stored to be called for on the return. A landing 
was made on the northwest corner of Bishop's Island. From its top the 
whole head of Frobisher Bay, from Sylvia to Grinnell River on the 
northeast, to Aggoun on the west, was in view. The "width was fourteen 
nautical miles. The termination is not by deep bays or fiords, but by 
slight indentations, the greatest not exceeding three miles. Bishop's 
Island was well covered with vegetation. The next day a point was 
reached from which it was definitely ascertained that Frobisher's Strait 
was a myth. The estuary of Jordan's River was finally reached. It 
was crossed, and an encampment made on the other side. From this 
point were visible long and wide plains, meadows of grass, smoothly 
sloping hills, and a range of mountains beyond, which, parting in one 
particular spot, formed, as it were, a natural gateway. At the left, across 
the river, was Silliman's Fossil Mount, a ridge of white, and behind it 
the unbroken front of a line of mountains extending northwesterly to 
the Great Gateway. On the northern side the mountains continued 
from this singular opening on by Frobisher Bay to the locality around 
Field Bay, far to the southwest and eastward. Jordan's River is not so 
large as the Sylvia Grinnell, but at certain seasons it must discharge 
large volumes of water. On account of its singular beauty the land at 
the head of Frobisher Bay was named " Greenwood's Land." On the 
opposite side of the river was discovered a mount of marine fossils in 
limestone, half a mile long and over a hundred feet high. 

On the morning of Sept. 6 the return journey was commenced. 
Two days later it was evident that winter had again commenced. There 
was a severe snowstorm in the morning and ice at night. On the loth 
a journey over the mountains westward was undertaken, though 
nothing was accomplished. Next day a start was made for the islands, 
and a landing was made on Bishop's Island. The view from there 
embraced the whole coast which terminates Frobisher Bay. On the 
20th there was some excitement when one of the Innuits cried out from 




579 



OFHIURID OF NORTHERN SEAS. 



580 RELICS OF FROBISHER. 

the shore that he had discovered gold, and instantly a rush was made for 
the spot, when it was discovered that the alleged article was spurious. 
Further along on the island was found a trench in the rock which was 
one hundred and ten feet in length, running from the surface to a depth 
of twenty-five feet at the water's edge. The Innuits said that a ship had 
been built there by the white men. 

On top of the island was found the ruins of a house, built of stone, 
and cemented with lime. It was about twelve feet in diameter, 
and thickly coated with moss. A few feet from it was a sort of stone 
breastwork, such as the natives erect for shelter when hunting, and also 
a pile of stones, which looked as though it might have been made by 
Frobisher's men to cover some memorial left by them when trying to 
escape in their ship. 

Leaving the island the course was next laid to the cape of land called 
Tikkoon. Landing there, one of the Innuits attracted the party to where 
he was standing, by loud cries. On arriving on the spot there was found 
still another relic of the Frobisher Expedition — of iron, and time-eaten, 
with ragged teeth. The piece weighed from fifteen to twenty pounds 
and was on the top of a granite rock, just within reach of high tide at 
full and change of the moon. The iron stain was in the rock; otherwise 
its top was cleanly washed. 

The next point visited was Cape Ood-loo-ong, where many relics 
of Innuits were found, and which possessed magnificent scenery. Next 
day a landing was made at Ek-ke-le-zhun, where more coal was found, 
and where a black stone resembling coal was also found. 

A snowstorm detained the party on Nionutelik Island, which 
enabled Capt. Hall to extend his investigations still farther. East of the 
spot where he discovered some coal several months before, he discovered 
another deposit, which was nearly overgrown with grasses, shrubs, and 
mosses. Its location and surroundings led him to believe that this must 
have been the landing place of Frobisher in 157S. 

A start from the island was made on Sept. 25, the course being direct 
to Kodlunam Island. This second visit resulted in the discovery of 
another piece of iron, semi-spherical in shape, and weighing twenty 



ANOTHER WINTER IN THE ARCTIC. 5«1 

pounds. Fragments of tile and numerous other relics, indicating that 
civilized men had visited it, were also found. Cape True was next 
visited, and then the party started for the locality of the ship. On the 
evening of the 27th they arrived near Parker's Bay, where they heard 
the sound of firearms. It was cold, and night was approaching, but 
they pressed on to ascertain if the ship still remained. The point of 
land at the entrance to the harbor -was rounded, and the hull of the 
George Henry loomed up before them. All received a joyful welcome, 
and were soon on board recounting their adventures to the officers and 
men, who had given them up for lost. 

Much of the time after arriving at the ship was spent in visiting the 
homes of the Innuits on shore, and gaining what information could be 
obtained concerning the white men who centuries before had visited that 
region. The result of this information was a determination to make 
another trip to the places recently visited, and accompanied by five 
Innuits, Capt. Hall started for the Countess of Warwick's Sound on the 
7th of October. The trip was nearly a failure. The season was too far 
advanced for boat excursions; snow storms, and cold and windy weather, 
met them each day. The Innuits were willing to proceed, but plainly 
intimated that it would not do to go far; so the party returned to the 
ship, where they arrived after an absence of four days. 

All now wished to commence the voyage home. Ice had begun to 
form, and it was felt that the time for departure had arrived. The captain 
of the whaler had determined to leave on the 20th of October, and all 
had made up their minds accordingly. While waiting for the day of 
departure Capt. Hall visited a high point near Bayard Taylor Pass, in 
order to enable him to complete the trigonometrical survey which he had 
commenced. From the elevation he discovered that solid ice at the en- 
trance to the bay held the ship a prisoner there. Upon the return to the 
ship her captain was informed of the discovery of pack ice in Davis' 
Strait. It was soon after announced that the winter must be spent in 
the polar regions. The bay commenced freezing over, and on Oct. 
25, instead of being homeward bound, the ship was in ice seven 
inches thick and rapidly increasing, causing immediate preparations to go 



582 GRIN NELL GLACIER 

into winter quarters. On Nov. 23 the Innuits commenced to build 
their winter houses. 

When it was fairly decided that the George Henry would remain all 
winter in the ice, Capt. Hall declared his intention of making sledge 
journey up Frobisher Bay, for the purpose of effecting a complete ex- 
ploration of every bay and inlet in those waters, and also of investigat- 
ing still more closely the matters connected with the Countess of 
Warwick's Sound, and on Dec. 15 he started for Jones' Cape, accom- 
panied by two Innuits. No new discoveries were made, and after an ab- 
sence of four days they again arrived at the ship. 

Shortness of provisions caused the ship's company to divide them- 
selves among the Innuits and try their mode of living. The privations 
of Innuit life were too severe for them, and they now and then returned 
to the ship. Indeed, the experience of the men was anything but pleas- 
ant, and it often looked as though they would die of starvation. 

The exploring sledge trip up Frobisher's Bay was renewed on the 
1st of April, the party consisting of Capt. Hall, four of the ship's com- 
pany, and four Innuits. They first visited Oopungnewing, but nothing 
new was discovered. The journey was continued without any event of 
note occurring, until May 1st, when the course was changed to the 
Kingaite coast. The Grinnell Glacier was visited, which was estimated 
to be fully one hundred miles long. Its height at the highest point 
reached is 3,500 feet. From this point various other bays were 
visited. Thence they proceeded among many islands, and came 
to a channel where they found a space of open water abounding in 
ducks and other aquatic birds and seals. This raised the siege of hunger 
which had been endured almost since the time they had left the ship. 
The journey was continued down the bay, passing rapidly on the right 
Cape Poillon and Newell's Sound, and on the left, Pike's Island; the 
course being along near the Kingaite coast, and direct for Cape Vander- 
bilt. In leaving the latter point the course was almost in line with Cape 
Hill, the south termination of Chase Island. The return journey to the 
ship was commenced on the 20th of May, which was reached early next 
moraine:. 




EBIERBING, TOOKOOLITO, AND CHILD. 



583 



584 CAPE TRUE. 

A short time after the return to the ship Capt. Hall secured the con- 
sent of his Innuit companions, Ebierbing and his wife Tookoolito, to re- 
turn with him to the United States, in order that he might learn more 
of the language, manners and customs of their race, and have them return 
with him at a future time on his expedition to King William's Land. 

Early in June two more relics of Frobisher's Expedition were pro- 
cured from one of the Esquimaux — a piece of brick and a musket ball, 
the latter of which the giver said had been found before his race knew 
anything of guns. 

The ship was left June 14 for a visit to the whaling depot at Cape 
True, which was reached in safety, and the captain and his men were 
found to be fat and healthy. After remaining a few days with the 
whalers, Capt. Hall and an Innuit companion started once more for 
Cornelius Grinnell Bay, for the purpose of surveying it. During the 
trip they encountered very severe weather. The ice threatened to break 
up and crush them, and the wind blew a hurricane. It was the inten- 
tion to go to the extreme of the bay, but the season was so far advanced as 
to render ice-traveling very dangerous; therefore the party advanced no 
farther than Allen's Island, of which a renewed examination was com- 
menced. The discoveries made were of minor importance, and the re- 
turn journey to the ship was commenced on the 26th of June. On the 
way back the time was improved in making observations for the com- 
pletion of the chart. On the day following the ship was reached, when 
matters were found to be proceeding in the usual course. 

Another expedition was commenced June 30. Cape True was 
reached by sled, from whence a party of eleven was secured to proceed 
further by boat. The islands which had been visited before were visited 
again. Relics were sought and a few secured, but things which it was 
particularly desirous to obtain could not be found. The journey was 
continued until July 19, when they again started for the ship. As they 
proceeded along the coast, observations were renewed, and so far as it 
could be done the link of bearings and sextant angles which now ex- 
tended all around Frobisher Bay, was completed. The next point for 
which the party started was the southeast extreme — Hall's Island of Fro- 



RETURN OF THE GEORGE HENRT. 585 

bisher. A number of small islands and channels were found and named. 
Passing along Lok's Land, a stone monument was discovered on the 
edge of the shore. Subsequently others were seen, which the natives 
said told of a time long ago, when many of their race lived there, who 
were ultimately all lost, since when no Innuit dares to dwell on the 
island. Bear Island was also visited, and a day later the objective point 
— Hall's Island of Frobisher — was reached. An ascent of Mount War- 
wick was immediately made, and the weather being favorable, many 
important places were connected by sextant angles. The return trip to 
Cape True was speedily and safely made. 

On Friday, Aug. 8, two days after their return, Capt. B. arrived 
in a boat direct from George Henry Bay, with the announcement that the 
ship was nearly free, that the ice in Field Bay was all broken up, and 
that much of it had drifted out to sea. He ordered all hands to proceed 
on board immediately. The men were overjoyed, and all was excite- 
ment. The tents were struck quickly, and everything which was neces- 
sary, and which could be carried, was placed in the boat. Farewells 
were paid to many familiar spots as they were passed. The ship was 
speedily reached, and the men were glad again to tread her decks in the 
knowledge that she was once more free. 

On Saturday, Aug. 9, the weather was calm and clear. The ice 
had cleared away, and the ship was swinging lazily at her anchors. There 
was no wind, but it was no time to hold on, and, finding it useless to tany 
longer, the captain gave the signal, and the anchors were once more 
hoisted to their place on board. The ship was soon clear, and, with 
lines out, all boats were manned to tow her down the bay. The Innuits 
surrounded her and many words of kind regret were exchanged as they 
parted company. Soon a fresh breeze was welcomed, and the George 
Henry was once more homeward bound. Nothing worthy of note oc- 
curred during the voyage. St. Johns, Newfoundland, was reached with- 
out accident on Aug. 21st, when the ship again sailed for New London, 
where she arrived- on Saturday morning, Sept. 13, 1862. Thus ended 
a voyage and explorations of two years and, three and a half months, 
in and about the Arctic seas. 



586 



END OF FRANKLIN SEARCH. 



With Hall's first voyage closes the connected series of efforts to dis- 
cover the particulars of the Franklin tragedy, lasting from their incep- 
tion in 1848-9, till the termination of the enterprise just described. A 
later endeavor of Hall resulting in partial success, will be described in 
connection with his third and last voyage. We next turn to the long 
list of recent explorers, who, from 1S60 to 18S1, have made voyages for 
independent Arctic discovery. 





F>JVRT V. 



IEEEKT FIIIxflR EXPEIITinNS, 




" The summer went, the winter came, 
We could not rule the year / 

But summer will melt the ice again, 
And open a path to the sunny main, 
Whereon our ships shall steer. 

" The winter went, the summer went, 
The winter came around; 

But the hard green ice was strong as death, 
And the voice of Hope sank to a breath, 

Yet caught at every sound?' 1 



CHAPTER LXV. 

THEORY OF HAYES ANNOUNCES HIS PLAN SUBSCRIPTIONS A 

PRESENT THE START ICEBERGS THE KAYAK PROVEN 

UPERNAVIK STRANGE SCENES— CAPE YORK A GALE ALMOST 

A WRECK HARTSTENE BAY. 

With the enthusiasm of an ardent young' man — he was only twenty- 
one, and had just graduated as a physician, when he joined Dr. Kane in 
1853 — Dr. Isaac Israel Hayes became possessed of the idea that beyond 
the ice-belt which surrounded the Arctic lands hitherto discovered, would 
be found an open body of water stretching to the Pole. "Accepting the 
deductions," he says, "of many learned physicists that the sea about the 
North Pole cannot be frozen, that an open area of varying extent must 
be found within the ice-belt which is known to invest it, I desired to add 
to the proofs which had already been accumulated by the early Dutch 
and English voyagers, and more recently by the researches of Scoresby, 
Wrangell, and Parry, and still later by Dr. Kane's Expedition." 

Hayes submitted his ideas and plans to the American Geographical 
and Statistical Society, in a paper read before them toward the close of 
1857, which attracted some attention. In April, 1S5S, he brought the 
subject to the notice of the American Association for the Advancement 
of Science, at its annual meeting, which appointed sixteen of its mem- 
bers a committee on the subject. Other societies took similar action; 
Dr. Hayes gave several lectures in furtherance of the project; and about 
400 prominent gentlemen and business houses of Philadelphia, New 
York, Albany and Boston subscribed to the Arctic Exploration Fund. 
The Smithsonian Institution made a tender of the necessary instru- 
ments; and in June, i860, the necessary expenses for one vessel had been 
collected. Hayes now curtailed his original plan, which embraced a 
small steamer — which was to make the voyage under sail, reserving its 

589 



590 THE UNITED STATES. 

steam-power for boring through the ice — and a sailing vessel, to act as 
tender or store-ship. A staunch merchant schooner in the West Indies 
trade, of only 133 tons burden, but an Ai register, and drawing only 
eight feet of water, was purchased for the voyage. It was already late 
in the season, in view of the distance that intervened, for successful 
exploration beyond latitude 8o Q , where Hayes proposed to begin. The 
necessary improvements to adapt the ship to her new sphere were 
hurriedly pushed forward; and the stowage of supplies and provisions 
added further delay. It was the 7th of July before the snug little craft, 
which had been named the United States, was towed out from the harbor 
of Boston, and the <Jth before she left Nantasket Roads for the voyage 
to the north. Her company consisted of fourteen persons, officers and 
men, besides the commander and owner, Dr. Hayes. The vessel and 
outfit had been presented to him on the eve of his departure. 

On the second day they ran into a fog-bank which enveloped them a 
whole week, and in which they finally ran on the rocks off the New- 
foundland coast, but had the good fortune to get away without injury, 
though Hayes says it seemed as if they could touch the beetling cliffs 
with their hands. With favorable winds and weather they now pushed 
rapidly to the west, seeing the first iceberg on the 29th, and entering 
within the Arctic circle on the evening of the 30th. Thus they had 
made an average of nearly 100 miles a day from Nantasket Roads, 
having reached the region of "the midnight sun" in twenty days. While 
in Davis' Strait they had a narrow escape from a serious disaster in a 
squall; the cabin was flooded at least a dozen times a day the skylight 
knocked to pieces and the table, standing directly under it, more than 
once cleared of crockery and eatables without the aid of the steward. 

They made the southern extremity of Disco Island on the last day 
of July, and the Nord Fiord of the same, in latitude 70 , on the 1st of 
August. Speeding past Waigat Strait, and Omenak Fiord or Jacob's 
Bight, they arrived off Svarte Hook on the 2d, when the wind, which 
had so long favored them, died completely away. The fog lifted, and 
'■'iceberg after iceberg burst into view, like castles in a fairy tale. The sea 
was smooth as glass ; not a ripple broke its dead surface ; not a breath of 



THE KAYAK. 



591 



air stirred. The dark headlands stood boldly out against the sky; the 
clouds, and sea, and bergs, and mountains were bathed in an atmosphere 
of crimson, and gold, and purple, most singularly beautiful. The air was 
warm almost as a summer's night at home; and yet there were the ice- 
bergs and the bleak mountains, with which the fancy in our land of green 
hills and waving forests, can associate nothing but cold repulsiveness." 
Notwithstanding the poetic beauty of the scene, the prosy reality of an 
iceberg close at hand, and lofty as the topmast, obliged them to man the 




DR. I. I. HAYES. 



boats to haul the vessel out of danger. On the 6th they made the har- 
bor of Proven, forty miles south of Upernavik, convoyed by a fleet of 
Greenland kayaks. 

" The ka}'ak of the Greenlander," says Hayes, "is the frailest speci- 
men of marine architecture that ever carried human freight. It is 
eighteen feet long, and as many inches wide at its middle, and tapers, 
with an upward curving line, to a point at either end. The skeleton of 



592 AT PROVEN. 

the boat is made of light wood ; the covering - is of tanned sealskin, 
sewed together by the native women with sinew thread, and with a 
strength and dexterity quite astonishing. Not a drop of water finds its 
way through their seams, and the skin itself is perfectly waterproof. 
The boat is about nine inches deep, and the top is covered like the bot- 
tom. There is no opening into it, except a round hole in the center, 
which admits the hunter as far as his hips. This hole is surrounded with 
a wooden rim, over which the kayaker laces the lower edge of his 
water-tight jacket, and thus fastens himself in and keeps the water out. 
He propels himself with a single oar about six feet long, which termi- 
nates in a blade or paddle at either end. This instrument of locomotion 
is grasped in the center, and is dipped in the water alternately to right 
and left. The boat is graceful as a duck, and light as a feather. It has 
no ballast and no keel, and it rides almost on the surface of the water. 
It is therefore necessarily top-heavy. Long practice is required to man- 
age it, and no tight-rope dancer ever needed more steady nerve and skill 
of balance than this same savage kayaker. Yet in this frail craft he 
does not hesitate to ride seas which would swamp an ordinary boat, or 
to break through surf which may sweep completely over him. But he 
is used to hard battles, and in spite of every fortune he keeps himself up- 
right." Six days were here spent in the effort to secure dogs, hut only 
half a dozen old ones and a less number of young ones were all that they 
were able to procure, an epidemic among them having left many hunt- 
ers without any, and none with their usual number. To part with their 
dogs was to run the risk of starvation; and though Hayes offered a lib- 
eral equivalent in pork, beef, and canned meats, they preferred to retain 
the means of hunting the seal and walrus. The chief trader, a Mr. 
Hansen, with great courtesy placed his own team at the service of the 
explorer, but did not feel at liberty either to advise or command the na- 
tives to part with theirs. 

A government house, one story high, and plastered over with pitch 
and tar, is the most conspicuous house in Proven. A shop and a lodg- 
ing house for a few Danish employes stand next in importance. Two 
or three less imposing structures of the pitch and tar description, inhab- 



DEATH OF CARUTHERS. 593 

ited by Danes who have married native women ; a few huts of stone 
and turf, roofed with boards, and overgrown with grass; about an equal 
number of like description, but without the board roof, and a dozen seal- 
skin tents, all pitched about promiscuously among the rocks, make up 
the town. There is a blubber-house down by the beach, and a stunted 
flag-staff on the hill, from which the Danish flag, gracefully waving in 
the wind, gave the place a show of dignity. The dignity of civilization 
was further preserved by an old cannon which lay on the grass under 
the flag, whose rusty throat made the welkin ring as our anchor touched 
the Greenland rocks. 

Leaving Proven, that is, "Experiment," on the 12th, they reached 
Upernavik, that is " Upper Harbor," 72 40' by 56 , on the evening of 
the same day. Here they found a Danish vessel taking on a cargo of 
oil and skins for Copenhagen, which gave an opportunity of sending 
letters home. Upernavik was found to differ but little from Proven — 
a few huts more and about two hundred inhabitants, Danes, half-breeds, 
and Esquimaux, besides a church and parsonage. Gilson Caruthers, 
the boatswain and carpenter of the schooner, having been found unex- 
pectedly dead in his berth, the commander had occasion to visit the par- 
sonage, and thus describes some of its features and personages : " I 
tapped at the door, and was ushered into a cosy little apartment — the 
fastidious neatness of which left no doubt as to the sex of its occupants — 
by the oddest specimen of womankind that ever answered bell. She 
was a full-blown Esquimaux, with coppery complexion and black hair, 
which was twisted into a knot on the top of her head. She wore a 
jacket which extended to her waist, sealskin pantaloons, and boots reach- 
ing above the knees, dyed scarlet, and embroidered in a manner that 
would astonish the girls of Dresden. The room was redolent of the 
fragrant rose and mignonette and heliotrope, which nestled in the sun- 
light under the snow white curtains. A canary chirped on its perch 
above the door, a cat was purring on the hearth-rug, and an unmistaka- 
ble gentleman put out a soft white hand to give me welcome. It was 
the Rev. Mr.. Anton, missionary of the place. Mrs. Anton soon 
emerged from a snug little chamber adjoining. Her sister came in im- 
38 



594 A CLUSTER OF BERGS. 

mediately afterward, and we were soon grouped about a homelike table." 
They were detained four days at Upernavik by the burial of Caruth- 
ers, and procuring the last Arctic supplies, including five men, an inter- 
preter with his dog team, and the forementioned team of the trader, 
Hansen. Leaving this limit of safe navigation and civilized existence 
behind, they soon encountered a heavy line of icebergs, some of which 
were judged to be two hundred feet high and a mile long, and spent 
four days — " now at anchor, then moored to a berg, and again keeping 
free from danger through a hard struggle with the oars" — in threading 
their dangerous way through this labyrinth. 

" The ice was here, 
The ice was there, 

The ice was all around ; 
It creaked and growled, 
And roared and howled 

Like demons in a swound." 

At one time they were in imminent danger of being crushed by the 
breaking up of one of the bergs, and only escaped by anchoring to 
another at a little distance and hauling on a rope, getting only twenty 
yards away, when a huge mass tumbled into the sea. As it was, they 
lost the mainboom, and small fragments of the ice were showered upon 
the deck. Hayes counted 500 separate bergs without exhausting the list. 
" Birds and beasts and human forms and architectural designs took shape 
in the distant masses of blue and white. The dome of St. Peter's 
loomed above the spire of Old Trinity; and under the shadow of the 
Pyramids nestled a Byzantine tower and a Grecian temple. To the east- 
ward the sea was dotted with little islets — dark specks upon a brilliant 
surface. Icebergs great and small crowded through the channels which 
divided them, until in the far distance they appeared massed together, 
terminating against a snow-covered plain that sloped upward until it was 
lost in a dim line of bluish whiteness. It was the mer-de-glace, or sea 
of ice, which covers the length and breadth of the Greenland Continent. 
The snow-covered slope was a glacier descending therefrom— the parent 



HANS, THE MARRIED. 595 

stem from which had been discharged, at irregular intervals, many of the 
icebergs which troubled us so much.'' 

They arrived at Tessuissak, or Bay Place, which comprised a few 
Esquimaux tents and permanent huts, on the 21st, where they made 
some exchanges with the natives, and were detained by drift-ice until 
the evening of the 22d. Passing Cape Shackleton, Horse's Plead, and 
Wilcox Point, with the Devil's Thumb in sight, they entered Melville 
Bay on the 23d, with nothing else in sight but the "swelling and limit- 
less billows" — a piece of rare good fortune. But a snowstorm soon 
came on and after ten hours of rapid sailing under a favorable wind they 
came suddenly on an iceberg, which they passed so close, that " the fore- 
yard actually grazed its side, and- the surf was thrown back upon them 
from its white wall." After lying becalmed some hours about the middle 
of the bay, a favorable wind again arose on the 24th, and they sped for- 
ward until Cape York was seen "advancing in the bosom of the sea." 
On the 25th they encountered the first field of ice, about fifteen miles 
wide, but easily bored through under a full pressure of canvas filled by 
a favoring wind. It had taken fifty-five hours to traverse Melville Bay. 
A little to the east of the cape, at Kikertait, or "Place of Islands," 
Hayes, as he had anticipated, picked up Hans, the young Esquimaux 
protege of Dr. Kane, who had deserted that navigator some six years 
before to marry a young woman of this region. In a solitary tent, apart 
from the rest of the tribe, and overlooking the bay, he was found with 
his wife, Merkut, their baby, Pingasuk, that is "The Pretty One," a 
brother-in-law and mother-in-law, apparently on the look-out for deliv- 
erance. Dr. Hayes now took him, his wife and child, leaving the wife's 
brother and mother behind, without any regret on his part. The whole 
tribe numbers only about twenty besides the family of Hans. With a 
favoring wind they continued to push rapidly to the north, toward 
Wolstenholme Sound, sailing at one time between two sections of an 
iceberg connected under water, the schooner twice grazing the common 
base with her keel. On the evening of the 26th they were off Booth 
Bay, the commander's winter quarters in his boat-journey of 1S54; and 
on the next day arrived off Hakluyt Island in Whale Sound. Here thev 



596 GREAT DANGER IN THE ICE. 

encountered an ice-pack, which they passed through in safety, though not 
without danger; and on the morning of the 28th, saw Cape Alexander 
at the entrance to Smith Sound, twenty miles ahead. In the afternoon, 
after having actually got within the Sound, they fell in with another ice- 
pack. While menaced by this danger, a greater one arose. A terrific 
northern gale sprang up; the spray flew over the deck, sheathing deck, 
spars and rigging, as well as men, in coats of ice. They found partial 
shelter from the hurricane under the cliffs, or they would have been 
driven possibly beyond Cape York, or upon the ice-pack. Off Cape 
Alexander it was one mass of seething foam, whirled upward ever and 
anon by the ever-changing wind gusts. 

Thus detained until the 30th, the direction of the gale then changed, 
driving them before it and threatening to carry them into mid-channel from 
the protection of the eastern cliffs, but they succeeded in casting anchor 
near the shore. The next day the vessel dragged her anchors, losing 
one; and was driven on some bergs, crushing the stern-boat and bul- 
warks, and veering round, lost her jib-boom and had her bowsprit and 
foremast sprung. Scudding before the wind, with mainsail spread to 
get away from the icebergs, the sail was torn to pieces, but they had 
been driven once more within the Sound. An effort was now made to 
pass to the west side, toward Cape Isabella, but encountering the solid 
pack for the second time, there was no alternative but to hug the Green- 
land coast, in an effort to gain Fog Inlet, twenty miles above Cape 
Alexander. The gale, after a temporary lull, set in again from the 
north, and drove them once more south of Cape Alexander, on the 1st of 
September. Another fight was made for the Sound, during the next two 
days, but only to cripple the vessel more severely. " Her rudder was 
split, and two of its pintles were broken off, leaving only one uninjured; 
the stern-post was started, fragments of the cut-water and keel were float- 
ing alongside her in the sea; and she was apparently in a sinking condi- 
tion. As the ice touched the schoonei - , she groaned like a conscious 
thing in pain, and writhed and twisted as if to escape her adversary, 
trembling in every timber from truck to keelson." Soon she was lifted 
up by the pressure of the ice under her keel, and cradled like Bach's 



CAPE HATHERTON. 597 

ship, in 1837, for eight hours, but was then let down- — first her bow, and 
then the stern — by the movement of the floes. She had been so strained 
that she was found to leak considerably, but one hour in four at the 
pumps kept the water from gaining- in the hold. 

It was, however, becoming clear to commander and men that she was 
scarcely in fit condition to wage another battle with the ice. The marvel 
was that she did not become a total wreck; it is not known that any ves- 
sel of her size and build ever went through such a series of desperate 
struggles and lived. Hayes had hoped to get beyond Cape Isabella, on 
the west side of Smith Sound, as high perhaps as latitude So°, in Grinnell 
Land, which he had personally reached in Kane's Expedition. Having 
twice failed to penetrate the ice-pack in that direction, he strove to make 
Cape Hatherton, in 78 30', on the Greenland side — the most prominent 
headland of the peninsula which is now known by his name. Foiled in 
both endeavors by the wind and ice, and perhaps the lateness of their 
arrival, they now crept back into Hartstene Bay, and anchored in safety 
some miles to the northeast of Cape Alexander. They had won at least 
a partial victory by securing an anchorage within the sound. Not yet 
content to give up the struggle for a higher latitude before going into 
winter quarters, Hayes set out to explore the sound to the north along 
the Greenland shore, which had the usual lane of open water between 
the land ice and the ice-pack. 

Leaving the sailing master to make such repairs as were practicable 
under the circumstances, Hayes went up the sound in the whale boat to 
Littleton Island, in 78 20', Inglefield's limit in 1852, where his compan- 
ion, Dodge, shot a reindeer, the sole inhabitant of the desolate island. 
This was the only satisfactory result of the exploration, for the ice-pack 
was found as impassable for the schooner as it had already proved. The 
interpreter and Hans had also killed two deer, thus securing a valuable 
addition to their provisions. 

Both parties having returned to the vessel, one more effort was made 
to work to the northward through the pack with oars and hawser, and 
other appliances. Gaining here a little with hard effort, and there 
losing it by the drift of the ice; occasionally a bit of open water, and then 



598 



HARTSTENB BAT. 



a squeeze or nip from the ice, they worked manfully but hopelessly on, 
until they were hemmed in by the pack, with new ice forming around 
and threatening to inclose them permanently in its embrace. A favor- 
able wind arising, they put back into Hartstene Bay, reaching a safe 
harbor behind a cluster of islets near its head, and Hayes announced that 
they would there establish their winter quarters. 



.A 







CHAPTER LXVI. 

HAYES IN WINTER QUARTERS MANIFOLD PREPARATIONS AN ICE- 
FIORD EXPLORED "BROTHER JOHN'S GLACIER" SONNTAG SUR- 
VEYS THE GLACIER A WELL-FILLED LARDER AN ARCTIC 

JOURNAL KNORR'S SPEECH UNUSUAL WEATHER A SERIOUS 

CALAMITY AURORA BOREALIS SEARCH FOR SONNTAG AC- 
COUNT OF SONNTAG'S DISASTER. * 

Toward the close of the first week in September they had finally 
cast anchor in the harbor referred to, which Hayes now named Port 
Foulke, in honor of one of the chief patrons of the expedition, William 
Parker Foulke, of Philadelphia. It was exposed to the southwest, but in 
other directions well sheltered, and little trouble was anticipated, as the 
prevailing wind was from the northeast. Yet they had two pretty severe 
rubs from the floes driven in upon them by southwest gales, before the 
harbor became entirely closed for the season. They now proceeded to 
clear the schooner, conveying her stores and rigging to a stone building 
erected by them on a ledge of the shore some thirty feet above the level 
of the harbor. The vessel was then roofed over, giving a room eight 
feet high in the center, and six and a half at the sides. The hold was 
fitted up for the crew and the cook-stove brought there from the galley. 
Meanwhile a hunting party was organized under the leadership of Jen- 
sen, and they seldom came back empty handed. Reindeer were encoun- 
tered in herds of ten or more, and hares and foxes were also abundant. 
An observatory was erected under the superintendence of the astronomer 
of the expedition, August Sonntag, who was also second in command of 
the schooner, and the commander's most valued lieutenant. Pendulum 
experiments, magnetic and meteorological observations, and variations of 
temperature, were carefully noted and recorded. 

Five weeks having been thus busily occupied in manifold prepara- 

599 



600 BROTHER JOHN'S GLACIER. 

tions, they took formal possession of their winter residence on the 
schooner on the ist of October. The temperature now sank to io° 
below zero, and they were soon completely frozen in, "which gave them 
security against the ice-floes from the exposed quarter, and easy access 
over the ice to the storehouse and observatory, and to the hunting 
grounds beyond. The sun disappeared on the 15th of October, and they 
were just entering on the Arctic night of four months, but still had nine 
hours of twilight daily. On the 16th Hayes made a second trip with his 
dog-team — his first, a few days before, had been merely a test excursion 
over the harbor — and explored the fiord extending inland from the head 
of Hartstene Bay some six miles, with a width of three or four miles. 
The team comprised twelve dogs, capable of making six miles in twenty- 
eight minutes. The traces were just long enough to place the shoulders 
of the dogs all in line, twenty feet in front of the runners of the sledge. 
The dogs are guided by the whip and voice of the driver, and the whip 
is seldom applied to the bodies of the animals, being generally thrown on 
the snow to the right or left, as an indication of the direction to be taken, 
as well as a gentle admonition that it is well in hand, to be used on the 
refractory or indolent. They are, however, liable to become unmanage- 
able in the hands of an unskilled driver, especially when distracted by the 
uncovering of a fox or other animal, which they very naturally desire to 
pursue direct, regardless of all hints to take a different course. 

In this excursion, the goal of which was Kane's glacier, named by 
him in 1855, "My Brother John's Glacier," Hayes discovered and named 
Alida Lake and Chester Valley, between the head of the fiord and the 
glacier. He also fell in with about one hundred reindeer, of which the 
driver and he killed two each. The ensuing day one of the seamen dis- 
covered several Esquimaux graves, but marked with no special charac- 
teristics — mere stone-piles heaped up without regard to symmetry or 
points of the compass. On the 19th Sonntag surveyed the glacier; and 
two days later, Hayes made a second trip, reaching its foot in forty min- 
utes from the schooner. The purpose of this visit was to place stakes 
and make measurements of angles formed with hilltops or other station- 
ary objects, which were to be re-measured the next year to ascertain the 



A NIGHT JOUR NET. 



601 



movement of the glacier. During his absence, seventeen reindeer were 
killed by three of his men, nine of which were brought down by Hans. 
The birthday of the sailing-master, S. J. McCormick, was suitably cele- 
brated on the return of the commander, by a "big dinner," -which 
showed no lack of comfort and luxuries in that remote, inhospitable clime, 
but all "the good things," except the salmon and venison, had been im- 
ported from The Hub. These feasts were a regular feature of this par- 
ticular expedition; the entry into winter quarters, the birthdays of the 
officers, besides Christmas and other recognized festal days, were made 




brother John's glacier. 
occasions for them. They received the encouragement of the com- 
mander, who saw in them a help to promote contentment and good fel- 
lowship among the members of the party. 

On the 32cl of October Hayes again set out with five of his strong- 
est men, and a hand-sledge laden with a tent, buffalo-skins, a cooking 
lamp, three quarts of alcohol, and three of oil, for fuel and provisions 
for eight days. Though there was now no daylight, properly speaking, 
even at noon, there was light enough to travel by. The purpose of this 



602 A FULL LARDER. 

new expedition was to explore the glacier, and the first encampment 
was at its foot, with the thermometer at n° below zero. The second 
day was spent in scaling the front, and progressing upward some five 
miles, when they encamped, with the thermometer several degrees lower 
than on the previous night, but so tired that after a hearty supper "they 
slept soundly. On the third day they made thirty miles, on the fourth 
twenty -five, the ascent being for those two days quite gradual, and the 
chief difficulty arising from the deep layer of snow through the crust of 
which the foot sank at every step. The temperature had now fallen to 
30 — and to 34 during the ensuing night — when it was judged advisa- 
ble to return. They were five thousand feet above the level of the sea, 
and seventy miles from the ship, "in the midst of a vast frozen Sahara 
unmeasurable to the human eye," with a fierce wind blowing over its 
surface, and threatening to chill the adventurers into helpless inactivity 
and death. Fortunately for them, by turning their faces toward the 
harbor the "wind was in their backs, and though cold and fierce, it helped 
them to make rapid progress down the slightly inclined plane of the 
glacier. After a run of forty miles they encamped for the night, and 
the next evening reached the schooner, where they learned the thermom- 
eter had sunk at no time during their absence of five days lower than 12 
below zero, showing a difference of 22 °. 

Meanwhile Sonntag had ascertained the distance from the western- 
most of the three islets — they had been already named Radcliffe, Knorr, 
and Starr in honor of three officers of the expedition — to Cape Alex- 
ander, eight nautical miles; Cape Isabella, thirty-one; and Cape Sabine 
the easternmost point of Ellesmere Land to the northwest, in latitude 
78 ° 45', forty-two miles. On the 28th, the day after their return from 
the excursion on the glacier, their stock of game was found to be 74 
reindeer, 21 foxes, 12 hares, 1 seal, 14 eider-ducks, 8 dovekies, 6 auks, 
and 1 ptarmigan, besides some two dozen reindeer deposited in caches 
where killed, awaiting transport to the vessel. 

On the 3d of November, with the moon — whose light was now the 
chief reliance in traveling — four or five days past the full, Sonntag set 
out on a sledge-journey to Van Rensselaer Harbor, but was only able to 



SPEECH OF KNORR. 603 

reach Fog Inlet, the way being blocked by impassable ice-hummocks on 
the one hand, and open water on the other. On the return trip they 
encountered and captured, after a long and exciting chase and a fierce 
and dangerous battle, a bear and its cub, and reached the schooner on the 
6th. Four days later they were surprised by a thaw, which was rather 
a source of discomfort than pleasure, the chief advantage derived being 
£L temporary reduction in the consumption of coal. Their stock of this 
valuable commodity was, however, likely to prove sufficient, as they 
had still about thirty-four tons, and had been using only about four 
bucketfuls a day for their two stoves. The temperature was kept 
habitually above 6o°, and was oftener too warm than too cold on the 
vessel. 

On the nth of November appeared the first number of the "Port 
Foulke Weekly News," which had been duly announced on handbills 
and posters for a week previous, and was now ushered in with a great 
flourish. "Agreeable to national usage," a meeting was called and form- 
ally organized, with president, vice-president, secretary and orator of 
the day. The assistant editor, who was the commander's secretary, 
George F. Knorr, and only eighteen years old, was elected orator by 
acclamation, and delivered the following speech: 

" Fellow-Citizens: — Called by the unanimous voice of this unen- 
lightened community to inaugurate the new era which has dawned upon 
a benighted region, it is my happy privilege to announce that we have, 
at the cost of much time, labor and means, supplied a want which has too 
long been felt by the people of Port Foulke. We are, fellow-citizens, 
no longer without that inalienable birthright of every American citizen 
— a free press and exponent of public opinion. Overcome with the 
gravity of my situation, I feel myself unable to make you a speech be- 
fitting the solemnity and importance of the occasion. It is proper, how- 
ever, that I should state, in behalf of myself and my Bohemian brother 
(Henry W. Dodge, the mate and editor-in-chief), that, in observance of 
a time-honored custom, we will keep our opinions for ourselves and our 
arguments for the public. The inhabitants of Port Foulke desire the 
speedy return of the sun; we will advocate and urge it. They wish 



604 



PATRIOTIC SENTIMENTS. 



light; we will address ourselves to the celestial orbs and point out the 
opportunities for reciprocity. ******* 

" Fellow-citizens, this is a memorable ^poch in the history of Port 
Foulke. We are informed that its aboriginal name is Annyeiqueifiab- 
laitah, which means — after it is pronounced — ' The Place of the Howl- 
ing Winds,' * * * on the remotest confines of our wide- 
spread country— a country, fellow-citizens, whose vast sides are bathed 
by the illimitable ocean. * * * It now devolves upon 



1 ?.#, <i ^ 



iiE'lii 



.,■■■ 
~ ililr 

ip 




* 



THE LITTLE AUK. 



us to bring the vexed question of national boundaries to a point — to a 
point, sirs! We must carry it to the Pole itself, and there, sirs, we will 
nail the Stars and Stripes, and our flag-staff will become the spindle of 
the world, and the universal Yankee nation will go whirling round it 
like a top. 

" Fellow-citizens and friends : — In conclusion, allow me to propose a 
sentiment befitting the occasion — a free press, and the universal Yankee 



UTILITT OF THE MOON. 605 

nation ! May the former continue in time to come, as in times gone by, 
the handmaiden of liberty, and the emblem of progress; and may the 
latter absorb ' all creation,' and become the errand celestial whirlisrie!" 

The paper comprised sixteen pages of closely written matter, with a 
picture of Port Foulke, a portrait of Sir John Franklin, and a likeness 
of " General," the commander's Newfoundland dog. Enigmas, original 
jokes, items of domestic and foreign intelligence from " reliable corres- 
pondents," an editorial department, telegraphic summary, original poems, 
personals and advertisements, filled its columns. The enterprise had been 
started at the suggestion of the commander, and received his official sanc- 
tion as a useful contribution to the amusement of the company during 
the dark period. A school of navigation was also opened. 

On the 1 2th of November the temperature had gone down only toA 
above zero, and the snowfall to date had been fifteen and one-fourth 
inches. The ice at its surface under the snow showed a temperature of 
19 , and two inches lower down 20 ; while the snow in contact with the 
ice, was 18 . Ordinary print could still be read at noon, though not with- 
out difficulty, and only for a brief interval. The moon and stars were the 
main reliance out doors. The latter shone at ail hours with almost equal 
brightness. " The moon, from its rising to its setting, shines continually, 
circling around the horizon, never setting until it has run its ten days of 
brightness ; and it shines with a brilliancy which one will hardly observe 
elsewhere. The uniform whiteness of the landscape, and the general 
clearness of the atmosphere, add to the illumination of its rays, and one 
may see to read by its light with ease. The natives often use it as they 
do the sun, to guide their nomadic life, and to lead them to their hunting 
grounds." On the 17th the temperature fell to io° below zero, for 
which the commander expresses himself duly thankful, finding an un- 
naturally high range conducive neither to health nor comfort in high lati- 
tudes. On the 28th and 29th they could use no fire except for cooking, 
and the snowfall about this time was thirty-two inches, nineteen of 
which were precipitated in a single day, making the aggregate for the sea- 
son forty-seven and a half inches. This fall of snow was followed by a 
shower — also unusual in those latitudes at that season of the year. 



606 MID- WINTER. 

A serious calamity now befell the expedition in the loss of twenty- 
seven out of thirty-six dogs, during the first three weeks of December, 
by the same epidemic which had committed such havoc in Greenland, 
and had made it so difficult to secure the necessary supply, none too 
large from the first. On the 21st — by the light of the new moon for 
which he had waited, but in the very middle of the Arctic night — Sonn- 
tag, with Hans as driver, set out with a sledge drawn by the nine sur- 
vivors of the pack, and laden with the two men and provisions for twelve 
days, in an effort to reach some native villages to procure more dogs. 
The water in the harbor had now frozen to a depth of six and a half 
feet, thus forming a continuous encasement for the lightened schooner. 
Christmas was duly celebrated with a big dinner and such festivities 
as their circumstances would permit — -all the more -necessary now that 
the Arctic night had grown monotonous and wearisome, having lost all 
of its novelty, and given rise to no diversity of experience. The "Weekly 
News " made its appearance regularly, now with one editor, and then an- 
other. New Year's of 1861 had come and gone, and had been duly 
observed. The old year had been rung out, and the new rung in, after 
the stereotyped formula, amid cannonading from their solitary little swivel 
gun, and the fitful glare of their rockets, but no answering gun or light 
relieved the dreariness; and their efforts could only serve to render the 
sense of isolation more intense — Knorr's " Universal Yankee Nation, 
brought to a point," indeed. 

On the 6th of January they witnessed two displays of the Aurora 
Borealis, the only ones hitherto observed ; and a week later the snowfall 
for the season had increased to 53^ inches — an addition of 6y 2 since 
previous computation. Another week passed, and at noon " a faint twi- 
light flush mounted the southern sky" — the welcome harbinger of the 
Arctic day. It suggested to the commander as a text for the day, — 
" Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eye to be- 
hold the sun." "And yet," says Hayes, "there is in the Arctic night 
much that is attractive to the lover of Nature. There is in the flashing 
Aurora, in the play of the moonlight upon the hills and icebergs, in the 
wonderful clearness of the starlight, in the broad expanse of the ice- 



THE LOSS OF SON NT AG. 607 

fields, in the lofty grandeur of the mountains and glaciers, in the naked 
fierceness of the storms, much that is sublime and beautiful. But they 
speak a language of their own — a language rough, rugged, and severe." 
But the stillness of Arctic scenery, away from the local turmoil and 
small, activities of the vessel, was found oppressive. The heavens above 
and the earth beneath revealed only an endless and fathomless quiet. No 
footfall of living thing reaches the ear; no wild beasts howl through the 
solitude; no cry of bird enlivens the scene; there is no tree among whose 
branches the winds can sigh and moan. Silence ceases to be negative; 
it becomes endowed with positive attributes; one seems to hear, and feel^ 
and see it. It stands forth a frightful specter, filling the mind with the 
overpowering consciousness of universal death. " I have seen," con- 
tinues Hayes, " no expression on the face of Nature so filled with . terror 
as the silence of the Arctic night." 

Five weeks had now elapsed since the departure of Sonntag for the 
Esquimaux encampments to the south, and no tidings had been received. 
Preparations were made by the commander to go in search of him, and 
some preliminary examinations had been effected to ascertain whether he 
had gone round Cape Alexander, or had been compelled to cross the 
glacier. Two days' detention from high winds had lengthened the ab- 
sence to thirty-nine days, when, on the 29th of January, as the party was 
about to begin the journey on foot, two Esquimaux arrived from Iteplik 
in the region of Whale Sound, with the sad intelligence that Sonntag 
was lost. Hans had reached their village, and was now coming behind 
with his worn-out dogs. They had made the run without a halt, with 
five dogs. On the last day of the month Hans arrived at the schooner 
without dogs or sled, but accompanied by his wife's brother. They had 
left father and mother, with five broken-down dogs — all that remained 
of the team — at the glacier, and come on afoot. By the death of Sonn- 
tag Hans had become master of the expedition, and utilized its resources 
in bringing his wife's family from Cape York, four dogs having died 
under the strain, and the other five being utterly exhausted. His account 
of the disaster to Sonntag was, that after having passed Cape Alexander 
in safety, and having made two fruitless attempts to find natives at the 



608 A CLOSE BOND. 

nearest fishing-stations beyond, they struck across for Northumberland 
Island. Five or six miles from Sorfalik, on the eastern shore, where 
they had constructed a hut, Sonntag dismounted to warm himself by a 
run alongside. Not noticing the weak spot, he broke through into a 
small ice-crevice, while the driver was -a little way behind adjusting some 
straps. Coming up almost immediately, Hans rescued him, apparently 
uninjured, and made all speed back to the hut which they had so lately 
left. On arriving, Sonntag was stiff and speechless. Hans now hurried 
him under cover, changed his clothing, applied such restoratives as were 
accessible, but his efforts proved unavailing; and after lingering about 
twenty-four hours in unbroken unconsciousness, Sonntag died. Hans 
closed up the hut to save the body from wild beasts, and proceeded on- 
ward to fulfill the objects of the mission. 

He finally fell in with the Esquimaux at Iteplik, and was only three 
days' journey from the schooner; but the dead were dead, thought Hans, 
and he proceeded to look out for the living — the family of his wife, as 
stated — very much to the chagrin of the commander, and jeopardy to 
the interests of the expedition. How much was conscious wrong-doing, 
and how much was perverse ignorance, it was rather difficult to deter- 
mine. Hayes had lost his most valued assistant, and had only five dogs 
left. With the period for active exploration fast approaching, " Sonn- 
tag's familiar acquaintance," says Hayes, " with the physical sciences, and 
his earnest enthusiasm in everything that appertained to physical re- 
search, both in the field and study, made him an invaluable aid, while his 
genial disposition and manly qualities gave him a deep hold upon my 
affections. Similarity of taste and disposition, equal age, a common ob- 
ject, and a mutual dependence for companionship, had cemented more 
and more closely a bond of friendship which had its origin in the dan- 
gers and fortunes of travel." 

Early in February the twilight began to grow perceptibly, day by 
day; on the 10th it was almost broad daylight at noon, and as late as 
3 o'clock one could read ordinary print; and on the the 18th, they re- 
joiced to see the sun from the hill-tops, after an absence of 126 days; but 
its light would not directly strike the harbor for 12 days yet. With the 



GRAVE OF SONNTAG. 609 

increasing light, hunting received a fresh impetus; and Hans and his 
father-in-law killed the first walrus early in February. Reindeer, 
wolves, and hares were killed in sufficient abundance by the men, and 
throughout the whole winter there had been no symptoms of scurvy or 
other disease. The general health was equal to the average in more 
favored climates; and, except the dreariness of the Arctic night, and the 
monotony of existence, there was but little to complain of. 

In the latter part of February, some Esquimaux from Iteplik, 150 
miles to the south, arrived at Port Foulke, and Hayes, by barter and 
presents, added six dogs to his pack, and secured the use of six more, 
with the services of their owner, Kalutunah. There were now at the 
winter quarters of the expedition seventeen natives — six men, four 
women, and seven children. Early in March, with the help of Kalutu- 
nah and Hans, the mate,. Dodge, brought back the remains of Sonntag, 
which were interred on the terrace near the observatory which he loved 
so well. Over his grave was raised a mound of stones, and at its head a 
chiseled slab bearing his name, age — 28 years, — and date of death — De- 
cember, 1S60. 




39 



CHAPTER LXVII. 

HA YES' SLEDGE-JOURNEYS HUMBOLDT GLACIER SIGHTED THE 

HOPE THE PERSEVERANCE A SNOW-HOUSE OFF FOR GRIN- 
NELL LAND A PICTURE SLOW PROGRESS HIGH TEMPERATURE 

UNSAFE ICE HIGH LATITUDE A PRUDENT RETURN THE 

SHIP INJURED ATTACKED BY WALRUSES CAPE ISABELLA 

WHALE SOUND THE RETURN HOME STARTLING NEWS DEATH 

OF HAYES. 

The first of these sledge-journeys began with the 16th of March, 
and its object was to determine the best route for his later efforts. He 
set out with two sledges drawn by nine and six dogs, and driven by Jen- 
sen and Kalutunah, respectively. After a misadventure five miles away, 
in which Jensen and his whole team were precipitated into a crevice, 
and a return to the ship for readjustment, which took only an hour, they 
set out for the north, and encamped the first night at Cape Hatherton, 
with the temperature at 40 below zero. At Fog Inlet, the next day, 
they noticed Hartstene's cairn and record of search, dated Aug. 16, 1855, 
and named the headland thus marked Cairn Point. Here also was made 
a deposit of surplus provisions,* consuming the remainder of the day. 
They retained only enough for six days' consumption. With lightened 
sledges the prospect for good headway was pi'omising, but they soon 
encountered hummocks, and after nine hours had only made twenty 
miles, when they went into camp for the third night, with the thermom- 
eter at 3 1 ° below zero within the snow hut, and 68 y 2 ° outside. The 
scene through which they now traveled northward "was like the Rocky 
Mountains on a small scale; peak after peak, ridge after ridge, spur after 
spur, separated by deep valleys into which we descended over a rough 
declivity, and then again ascended on the other side, to cross an elevated 

crest, and repeat the observation. The traveling was very laborious ; it 

610 



HUMBOLDT GLACIER SEEN. 611 

was but an endless clambering over ice-masses of every form and 
size." 

In five days from Cairn Point they sighted Humboldt Glacier, and 
proceeded to return, Hayes being satisfied that this route was impractica- 
ble, and that he therefore had no alternative but to try the west shore of 
the sound. They halted at Cairn Point for a further scrutiny of the 
route thence across the west; and while there Jensen killed a reindeer, 
which was a desirable addition to their supplies of dog-meat. Leaving 
for Port Foulke under a high, piercing wind, with the thermometer at 
52 ° below zero, they made the thirty miles to the schooner in three and a 
half hours. The last days of March -were utilized in conveying stores to 
Cairn Point, and making the necessary preparations for the work of the 
season. The temperature was still dangerously low, but having moder- 
ated somewhat in the first days of April, the party took final leave of the 
schooner — leaving RadclifFe alone of the original company, in charge — 
on the evening of the 3d of April. The cavalcade comprised the Hope 
sledge with eight dogs, and Jensen as driver; the Perseverance, with 
young Knorr as driver; and bringing up the rear, an unnamed sledge 
drawn bv eight men of the ship's company, with master and mate on 
either side, to direct and help, and laden with the twenty-foot metallic 
life-boat with which it was hoped to navigate the "Open Polar Sea" — 
when they reached it. The commander descended from the schooner, 
RadclifFe fired off the cannon, and the company set out on their weary 
journey. 

The inexperienced men soon gave trouble, and two or three would 
have suffered themselves to be frozen to death had they not been urged 
to exertion by the watchfulness of the commander. They staid eighteen 
hours at the first encampment to restore these sufferers, who fortunately 
escaped serious injury. On the 5th they encamped at Cape Hatherton, 
with the men in better trim and more cheerful spirits, under the influ- 
ence of a rising temperature and increasing experience. On the 6th 
they reached Cairn Point, and Hayes took the first opportunity after 
going into camp to reconnoiter the sound, which he proposed to cross 
from this point. The view was anything but encouraging — was in fact, 



612 OFF TO GRIN NELL LAND. 

"the ugliest scene his eye had ever chanced to rest upon." He had 
found it bad in 1854, and now it appeared to be much worse; and unfor- 
tunately its appearance did not deceive him. It proved to be even worse 
than it looked. 

They were detained some days at Cairn Point imprisoned by a gale, 
"in which," says Hayes, " my people could no more live than in a fiery 
furnace." The den in the snowbank which they occupied — a type of 
similar constructions — is thus described : " It is a pit eighteen feet long 
by eight wide and four deep. Over the top of said pit are placed the 
boat oars, to support the sledge, which is laid across them, and over 
the sledge is thrown the boat sail, and over the sail is thrown loose 
snow. Over the floor there is spread a strip of India-rubber cloth; 
over this cloth a strip of buffalo skins, which are all squared and 
sewed together; and over this again another just like it. When we 
want to sleep we draw ourselves underneath the upper one of 
these buffalo strips, and accommodate ourselves to the very moderate 
allowance of space assigned to each person, as best we can. We go to 
bed without change of costume except our boots and stockings, which we 
tuck under our heads to help out a pillow, while what we call reindeer 
sleeping-stockings take their place on our feet." In this snow-hut were 
crowded Hayes and his twelve companions. Some stores were brought 
forward from Cape Hatherton despite the storm, and everything that 
was to be left at the central depot, including the life-boat, was securely 
covered. 

All things being now in readiness, and the wind having veered to 
the south, they set out again on the 10th of April, with three sledges as 
before, except that the third was lightened of the boat — -diagonally across 
Smith's Sound for Grinnell Land, away to the northwest. The journey 
soon lay over a surface as rugged as that previously traversed in the 
experiment trip on the Greenland side. " The interstices," says Hayes, 
" between these closely accumulated ice masses are filled up, to some 
extent, with drifted snow. The reader will readily imagine the rest. 
He will see the sledges winding through the tangled wilderness of 
broken ice-tables, the men and dogs pulling and pushing up their respec- 



A PICTURE. 613 

tive loads, as Napoleon's soldiers may be supposed to have done when 
drawing their artillery through the steep and rugged passes of the Alps. 
He will see them clambering over' the very summit of lofty ridges, 
through which there is no opening, and again descending on the other 
side, the sledge often plunging over a precipice, sometimes capsizing, and 
frequently breaking. Again he will see the party, baffled in their 
attempt to cross or find a pass, breaking a track with shovel and hand- 
spike, or again, unable even with these appliances to accomplish their 
end, they retreat to seek a better track; and they may be lucky enough 
to find a sort of gap or gateway, upon the winding and uneven surface 
of which they will make a mile or so with comparative ease. The snow- 
drifts are sometimes a help, and sometimes a hindrance. At the very 
moment when all looks promising, down sinks one man to his middle, 
another to the neck, another is buried out of sight, the sledge gives way, 
and to extricate the whole from this unhappy predicament is probably 
the labor of hours; especially if, as often happens, the sledge must be 
unloaded. Not infrequently it is necessary to carry the cargo in two or 
three loads. It would be difficult to imagine any kind of labor more dis- 
heartening, or which would sooner sap the energies of both men and ani- 
mals. The strength gave way gradually, but when, as often happened, 
after a long and hard day's work, we could look back from an eminence 
and almost fire a rifle-ball into our last snow-hut, it was truly discourag- 
ing." Among the distinguishable masses encountered was an old ice-field, 
about six by four miles in extent, and twenty feet high above the water 
level, with hummocks rising to a height sometimes of eighty feet. Its 
depth under water was probably 140 feet, and Hayes estimated the 
weight of its solid contents at 6,000,000,000 tons! This they reached on 
the 24th of April, with the thermometer at 19 below zero; and they 
were only thirty miles from Cairn Point, and sixty-six from Port Foulke, 
an average of just three miles a day, though they had probably traveled 
about two hundred miles since leaving the schooner. 

" My party," says Hayes, under date of the 25th, "are in a very sorry 
condition. One of the men has sprained his back from lifting; another 
has a sprained ankle; another has gastritis; another a frosted toe; and all 



614 REMAINS OF AN ESQUIMAUX CAMP. 

are thoroughly overwhelmed with fatigue. The men do not stand it as 
well as the dogs." Hayes began to doubt whether he should ever reach 
Grinnell Land with the party: The mate compared their undertaking 
to an attempt "to cross New York over the house tops," and Hayes 
could not help bitterly exclaiming — " Smith Sound has given me but one 
succession of baffling obstacles." On the 28th, about midway of the 
sound, he sent back the men, except Knorr, Jensen, and John Mc- 
Donald, a seaman. With these companions, two sledges, fourteen dogs, 
and 800 pounds of provisions, he would still make an effort to win the 
victory. In fourteen days more, after encountering as great difficulties 
as at any stage of the journey, they finally reached the west coast at 
Cape Hawks — eighty miles in thirty-one days; but probably six times 
eighty actually traversed up and down, right and left, backward and for- 
ward, as described. 

Resting a few hours, they pushed to the north, crossing to the opposite 
headland, named for Napoleon III. a few years before; and on the way 
suffered a serious drawback in the disabling of Jensen. It became neces- 
sary that he should ride because of a fresh injury to an already broken 
leg; and this necessitated the transfer of some of his sledge load to the 
other sledge. Hayes and his two uninjured companions now buckled on 
their harness to help the team of the overladen sledge; and thus equipped, 
they crossed the bay between the points mentioned. Passing Cape 
Napoleon with difficulty, the next day they arrived at the farthest point 
reached by Hayes in 1S54, beyond Cape Frazer, on the third day from 
Cape Hawks, and were now within Kennedy Channel. Crossing Gould 
Bay to Cape Leidy, they fell in with traces of an Esquimaux encamp- 
ment, and suffered from an unseasonably high temperature of 32 °, which, 
occasioned some apprehension of an early breaking up of the ice. The 
spring was fast approaching. The coast presented a line of lofty 
silurian rocks, much broken by winter frosts and summer thaws. Inland 
could be seen lofty peaks clothed in an unbroken covering of snow, but 
no glaciers. Here again were encountered remains of an Esquimaux 
camp, and on this fourth day from Cape Hawks, May 15, while helping 
his team at a particularly difficult point, Jensen again hurt his leg and 



UNSAFE ICE. 615 

strained his back, more completely disabling him. The next day, leaving 
McDonald behind with Jensen, Hayes and Knorr pushed forward to 
reach the highest latitude attainable. They were already sixty miles be- 
yond Cape Constitution, Morton's limit in 1854. The first day they 
made about ten miles in nine hours, amid scenes of boundless sterility 
and dreary desolation. "As the eye wandered," says Hayes, "from 
i:>eak to peak of the mountains as they rose one above the other, and 
rested upon the dark and frost-degraded cliffs, and followed along the 
ice-foot, and overlooked the sea, and saw in every object the silent forces 
of Nature moving on through the gloom of winter and the sparkle of 
summer, now, as they had moved for countless ages, unobserved save by 
the eye of God alone, I felt how puny indeed are all men's works and 
efforts; and when I sought for some token of living thing, some track of 
wild beast — a fox, or bear, or reindeer — which had elsewhere always 
crossed me on my journeyings, and saw nothing but two feeble men and 
our struggling dogs, it seemed indeed as if the Almighty had frowned 
upon the hills and seas." 

After a ten hours' march on the 17th and four on the 18th, with a head- 
land in sight about twenty miles ahead, their progress was suddenly ar- 
rested. " The unerring instinct of the dogs," says Hayes, "warned us of 

1 

approaching danger, and I quickly perceived that the ice was rotten and 
unsafe. Walking now in advance of the dogs, they were inspired with 
greater courage. I had not proceeded far when I found the ice giving 
way under the staff with which I sounded its strength, and again we 
turned back and sought a still more eastern passage." Testing first one 
side, four miles out to sea, and then the other, and judging the head of 
the bay to be perhaps twenty miles away, eight hours were consumed in 
the vain effort to find a safe passage across. 

On the morning of the 19th, " after a most profound and refreshing 
sleep," Hayes ascended a cliff about 800 feet high, to survey the situa- 
tion. " The ice," he says, " was everywhere in the same condition as in 
the mouth of the bay across which I had endeavored to pass. A broad 
crack, starting from the middle of the bay, stretched over the sea, and 
uniting with other cracks as, it meandered to the eastward, it expanded 



616 HIGHEST LATITUDE OF HATES. 

as the delta of some mighty river discharging into the ocean, and under 
a water-sky, which hung upon the northern and eastern horizon, it was 
lost in the open sea. Standing against the dark sky at the north, there 
was seen in dim outline the white sloping summit of a noble headland — 
the most northern known land upon the globe. I judged it to be in lati- 
tude 82 ° 30% or 450 miles from the North Pole. Nearer, another bold 
cape stood forth; and nearer still the headland for which I had been 
steering my course the day before, rose majestically from the sea, as if 
pushing up into the very skies a lofty mountain peak, upon which the 
winter had dropped its diadem of snows. There was no land visible 
except the coast upon which I stood. The sea beneath me was a mottled 
sheet of white and dark patches, these latter being either soft, decaying 
ice, or places where the ice had wholly disappeared. To proceed farther 
north was of course impossible." The point actually reached, he named 
Cape Lieber, and the peak behind it Church's Monument; the sound, 
Lady Franklin, the headland beyond, Cape Eugenie; the lofty peak be- 
hind Cape Eugenie he named Pany Mountain — now more usually Mount 
Parry — in honor of the great Arctic navigator of that name. The mid- 
dle headland seen became Cape Frederick VII, in honor of the king of 
Denmark; and "the most northern-known land upon the globe" re- 
ceived the patriotic designation of Cape Union, in honor of a fundamen- 
tal principle in the constitution of his country, then actually in jeopardy, 
beyond the knowledge of the explorer and his companions, in the first 
throes of the great Civil War. The bay between these last-mentioned 
capes was dedicated to the name of Wrangell; and the one between 
Frederick and Eugenie, to the geographer Petermann; while two lower 
down toward Cape Hawks, were named in honor of Carl Ritter and 
William Scoresby„ 

Hayes now planted the flag of the United States, and several small 
flags of different patrons of the enterprise, erected the usual cairn, and 
deposited the following record : " This point, the most northern land 
that has ever been reached, was visited by the undersigned, May iS, 
19, 1 86 1, accompanied by George F„ Knorr, traveling with a dog- 
sledge. We arrived here, after a toilsome march of forty-six days from 



CAPE HATHERTON. 617 

my winter harbor, near Cape Alexander, at the mouth of Smith Sound. 
My observations place us in latitude Si 35', longitude 70 30', west. 
Our further progress was stopped by rotten ice and cracks. Kennedy 
Channel appears to expand into the polar basin; and, satisfied that it is 
navigable, at least during the months of July, August and September, I 
go hence to my winter harbor, to make another trial to get through 
Smith Sound with my vessel, after the ice breaks up this summer." 
" Then our faces were turned homeward," adds he, " but I quit the place 
with reluctance;" and the reader will sympathize with the feeling. The 
bravest thing to do is to turn back, with ambition and daring beckoning 
on to further achievement. The courage of prudent self-denial is 
greater than that of daring adventure. This a fool may possess, that 
belongs only to the wise. With a disabled companion in the rear, and 
a dangerous return journey, from a hundred miles beyond Morton's 
limit of 1854, and menaced by the risks of the ice breaking up, or pro- 
visions being exhausted before he could reach the schooner, prudence 
required that he should return, and he wisely obeyed its commands. 

With the utmost difficulty they reached Jensen's camp, sixty miles 
away, having made an unbroken trip for the last fifty miles in twenty- 
two hours, under a terrific snowstorm that nearly proved fatal to 
men and dogs. After a welcome rest they pushed on to Cape Hawks, 
which they made in three days, and pushed across for Cairn Point. On 
the very eve of landing they were detached on a floe, which, however, 
was soon floated landward, fortunately touching the land-ice, when they 
hastened ashore. Farther on, at Cape Hatherton, they were compelled 
to abandon the sledges, the ice having become too broken, and finish the 
return journey by land. It had taken fifteen days since leaving the 
limit, and sixty-one from the schooner, when they arrived safely aboard 
on the 3d of June, " having traveled not less than 1,300 miles, and not less 
than 1,600 since first setting out in March." Hayes was firm in the con- 
viction that if he could reach by vessel, the limit already attained over 
the ice, the voyage to the Pole could be made the ensuing season. 

On careful examination, it had been clearly ascertained by the master 
and mate of the schooner, before the return of the commander that, as an- 



618 FINE WEATHER. 

ticipated, she had been seriously injured in her conflicts with the ice-pack, 
before going into winter quarters. Hayes' personal scrutiny confirmed 
the statement of his officers; and, as he says, " It now became a matter 
for serious reflection whether it were not wiser to return home, refit, add 
— what was of much consequence — steam power to my resources, and 
come back again immediately." Meanwhile, the United States was still 
held ice-locked, and the commanders occupied themselves with various 
avocations. " The sun, reaching its greatest northern declination on the 
2 1 st of June, we were now," says Hayes, " in the full blaze of summer. Six 
eventful months had passed over since the Arctic midnight shrouded us 
in gloom, and now we had reached the Arctic midday. And this mid- 
day was a day of wonderful brightness. The temperature had gone up 
higher than at any previous time, marking at medium 49 °, while in the 
sun the thermometer showed 57 °. The barometer was away up to 
30.076, and a more calm and lovely air never softened an Arctic land- 
scape," — bringing to mind the Scriptural saying. "The winter is past 
and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of 
birds is come." The auk, at least, had come in great abundance; and 
Hayes witnessed the catching of a hundred in a net, by Kalutunah, in a 
little while. 

On the 3d of July their occupations were varied by a walrus hunt, 
in which two animals were secured, ten others killed and sunk, and 
many wounded. The herd attacked the boat of the hunters, and the 
useless slaughter of so many animals was the result. The "Glorious 
Fourth" was duly celebrated, though the weather was unfavorable — a 
mixture of hail, snow, and rain, and the thermometer at 32 °. A few 
days later, a memorial cairn was erected on the north coast of Port 
Foulke, and a record of the expedition deposited. 

On the 1 2th the schooner was free after a little more than ten months 
at Port Foulke, during nine of which they were completely frozen in. 
The thickness of the ice was nine feet, and seven of these were formed 
before the middle of February, when the boat became lodged in an ice- 
cradle. The severe temperature of March only added two inches to the 
depth of ice, the coat already formed serving, as is well known, to pro- 



CAPE ISABELLA. 



619 



tect water as well as land from being frozen to an incalculable depth. 
"I have never seen an ice-table," says Hayes, "formed by direct freezing, 
that exceeded eighteen feet." On the 13th they took leave of the Es- 
quimaux; and on the 14th set sail for Cape Isabella; but the ice-pack 
baffled him in 1861 as it had in i860; and after several days' effort and 
detention, they were only able to reach Gale Point, ten miles below, but 
the cape itself could not be passed, "a line of solid ice extending in a some 
what irregular curve up the sound to a few miles above Cairn Point. As 






POINT ISABELLA. 



well use a Hudson River steamboat for a battering-ram as this schooner, 
with her weakened bows, to encounter the Smith Sound ice." But 
Hayes would not be baffled of reaching Cape Isabella, and so set out in 
the whale-boat from Gale Point, to find it, as he says, "a ragged mass 01 
Plutonic rock, looking as if it had been turned out of Nature's labora- 
tory unfinished, and pushed up from the sea while it Was. yet hot, to 
crack and crumble to pieces in the cold air. Its surface is barren to the 
last degree; immense chasms or canyons cross it in all directions, in which 




620 



STARTLING NEWS. 621 

there was not the remotest trace of vegetation — great yawning depths 
with jagged beds and crumbling sides — sunless as the Cimmerian cav- 
erns of Averno." At Gale Point were observed traces of a recent 
Esquimaux encampment, giving the impression that the coast had still 
some remnants of native tribes. 

Some days later they anchored in Barden Bay off the native settle- 
ment of Netlik, on Whale Sound. Here Hayes made an extensive sur- 
vey, naming islands, capes, and bays, and the Tyndall Glacier. At 
Iteplik, farther on, whence the Esquimaux had gone to him at Port 
Foulke, he found nine families, numbering thirty persons, remaining. 
They next set sail through Melville Bay to the east, and on the 12th of 
August reached Horse's Head, and three days later the harbor of Uper- 
navik. Here they were startled by "the news from home." "Ah," said 
the first arrival aboard, "de Sout' States dey go agin de Nort' States, and 
dere's plenty fight." Their first mail received here, brought the history 
of events down to near the end of March, 1861, but the intervening five 
months, with their rapid succession of startling events, were still a blank. 
And so Hayes spent some days in exploring "a magnificent glacier nine 
miles wide, which discharges into a fiord named Aukpadlatok, about 
forty miles from town." Four days after leaving Upernavik, they anch- 
ored at Goodhaven on Disco Island; and in a few days left that safe 
harbor for Davis' Strait. Through this they were driven by "a regular 
equinoctial storm. Every stitch of canvas was ripped up but the little 
rag of a topsail, under which we scudded before the gale through four 
days, running down in one four-and-twenty hours two hundred and 
twenty miles of latitude." Off Labrador the wind changed to the west, 
and the vessel was hove to, when they "were caught amidships by the 
ugliest wave they had ever seen. The schooner shivered all over as if 
every rib in her little body was broken." Thus she lay for three days, 
drifting two hundred miles out of her course. When the storm abated 
they made for Halifax, Nova Scotia, where they received the kindest at- 
tention from citizens and officials. Here they got a second installment of 
"the news from home," sufficient to take away the breath, and they be- 
came impatient to reach their friends. In four days from Halifax they 



622 



DEATH OF HATES. 



reached Boston, Oct. 21,1861, having been absent fifteen months and four- 
teen days. Hayes at once tendered his services and his schooner to the 
government; and he entered the United States' service as an army surgeon, 
taking charge of the hospital at West Philadelphia, which he built. He 
made another voyage to Greenland in 1869, chiefly in the interest of Brad- 
ford's photographic enterprise, but not without adding something to his 
previous explorations and surveys. He afterward spent five years in 
political life as member of the Assembly of Pennsylvania; and also won 
distinction as a lecturer on his favorite topics — the Open Polar Sea and 
Arctic Exploration. He died Dec. 17, 188 1, in his fiftieth year. 




CHAPTER LXVIII. 

I 

GERMAN EXPEDITION UNDER KOLDEWEY THE PLAN OF DR. PETER- 
MANN EL) LOGY ON KOLDEWEY DEPARTURE FROM BREMER- 

HAVEN SEPARATION FROM THE HANSA A SERIES OF DANGERS 

WRECK OF THE HANSA THE COAL HOUSE THE DRIFT ON 

THE ICE AN ALARM DANGER FROM STARVATION ARRIVE AT 

FREDERICHSTAHL AT HOME. 

Among the nations that in recent times have taken part in the efforts 
to reach the Pole and solve its mysteries, the German Empire has been 
prominently persistent. It is true, the expeditions organized and sent out 
under its auspices have not been so numerous and pretentious as those 
planned and executed from time to time by Great Britain and America, 
but they have evinced a thoroughness of preparation and a skillfulness 
of conduct, second to none ; and their failures have been in places and un- 
der circumstances where failure was neither a disgrace nor a sign of 
weakness or inefficiency. 

The so-called "First German Arctic Expedition," under Karl Kol- 
dewey and its renowned originator, Dr. Petermann, had been welcomed 
back, though without results of great importance; and it was on the occa- 
sion of its formal reception that the idea of a second voyage for a like 
purpose was first conceived. Preliminary conferences took place between 
Capt. Koldewey, Dr. Petermann, Dr. Breusing and others, the result of 
which was that the dispatch of a new expedition became only a question 
of ways and means. The rough sketch of a plan was not long wanting^ 
This plan provided that the expedition should consist of two parts: That 
a steamer should land on the east coast of Greenland, from whence it 
should push forward into the center of the Arctic regions; and that an- 
other should from any point between Greenland and Spitzbergen seek to 

attain the highest latitude possible. This plan, however, proved too ex- 

623 



624 PLAN AND CREW. 

tended for the limited means of those specially interested. By common 
consent the latter portion of the proposed scheme was abandoned, and the 
attention directed to East Greenland. 

A communication dated the 8th of March, 1869, brought the proceed- 
ings to the knowledge of the friends of the expedition. The plan was now 
nearly as follows : " That the expedition should consist of a newly-built 
screw-steamer, and of the sailing yacht Greenland, a ship of the pio- 
neer journey of a year previous; that the end and aim of the same should 
be discovery and exploration in the Central Arctic region, from 74 ° north 
latitude upward, the East Greenland coast being the basis. The Green- 
land, acting as consort and transport ship, should return in the autumn 
of the same year ; but the return of the chief ship should not take place 
until late in the autumn of 1870, after their intended wintering. That 
the aim of the expedition should be scientific as well as nautical; the 
latter department being under the command of Capt. Koldewey, who 
the year before had proved himself so able in every respect, and whose 
character for courage, perseverance, and self-sacrifice in the cause, called 
for unhesitating confidence." 

Great diligence was used in making collections for defraying the ex- 
penses of the enterprise, and most of the towns of Germany responded 
liberally to the call for funds. The new steamer was called the Germa- 
nia, and was a model in size and strength for the purpose for which it 
was to be used. Objection being made to the Greenland as being too 
small, a larger ship, the Hansa, was chosen, and like the Germania, 
provisioned for two years. 

The scientific members of the expedition to ship in the Germania 
were the following: Dr. Karl Borgen; Dr. R. Copeland, an English- 
man, educated in Germany, and an associate of Dr. Bftrgen in scientific 
investigation; Lieut. Julius Payer, whom we shall hereafter know as the 
commander of a separate expedition, and Dr. Pansch, surgeon to the 
ship's company; Dr. Buchholz, surgeon to the Hansa, represented the 
department of zoology, anthropologyand ethnology, and he was joined 
by Dr. Gustavus Laube, of Vienna. 

The plan of the construction of other Arctic ships has been given 







::'.- 



lllliil i V' o>ri(i :, i ,(ff[(//////////f/ff//f/({//f////i/////////Jlil J J/ii 1 1 f i 1 1 f i f fj 111 i; 
625 



626 IN THE LATITUDE OF ICEBERGS. 

in detail in the narration of previous voyages, and the particulars of 
the preparations are so alike in all expeditions, that to give them here 
would involve a needless and tedious repetition. It is sufficient to say- 
that no mechanical skill was spared in the building of the Germania, 
and in the provisioning of both the ships, attention was particularly 
paid to completeness and plentiful supply, as well as to the good qual- 
ity of every article. 

The final departure of the expedition took place from Bremer- 
haven, on the 15th of June, 1869, in the presence of His Majesty, the 
King of Prussia, whose warm interest in this great national undertak- 
ing showed itself in a manner never to be forgotten. The two ves- 
sels sailed up through the German Ocean together, and did not sep- 
arate until Jan Mayen Island had been reached and passed, and the 
Arctic Ocean actually entered. On the 15th of July the Germania en- 
tered the " ice circle" of Greenland, and began to look for the barriers 
which she had come hither to defy. At length a practiced ear might 
have heard a subdued roar, growing louder by degrees as the ship's 
longitude became more and more westerly. 

" Nearer and nearer," says Koldewey's account, " comes the rushing 
noise. Every man is on deck ; when, as with the touch of a magic wand, 
the mist divides, and a few hundred yards before us lies the ice, in long 
lines, like a deep indented rocky coast, with walls glittering blue in the 
sun, and the foaming waves mounting high, with the top covered with 
blinding white snow. The eyes of all rested with amazement on this 
grand panorama ; it was a glorious but serious moment, stirred as we 
were by new thoughts and feelings, by hopes and doubts, by bold and 
far-reaching expectations." 

The separation from the Hansa, which had been a source of anxiety 
for several days, terminated on the 18th, when the meeting of the ves- 
sels was celebrated by a joyful firing of guns, and ringing of the ships' 
bells. It was found that the Hansa as well as the Germania had been 
several days in the ice. Indeed, a glance at the log-books of the former 
vessel showed that since their separation the two ships had never been 
far apart, that they had taken the same course to the ice, and that noth- 



THE HANS A BESET. 627 

ing but the thick mist which had prevailed had prevented one from see- 
ing the other. In case of another separation Sabine Island was appointed 
as a place of rendezvous. After some further consultation on the part of 
the officers as to their future course, the two vessels began working their 
way together to the westward. Through a misunderstanding of signals, 
the two ships became once more separated, and never met again. Let us 
leave for a time the Germania, sailing under the orders of Capt. Kol- 
dewey, and follow the fortunes of the ill-fated Hansa. 

Meeting with impassable ice to the west, the Hansa steered to east- 
ward out of the jce, and began afresh. Having reached open water a 
second attempt was made at penetrating to the coast in the latitude cor- 
responding with the instructions. Until the ioth of August the Hansa 
experienced good weather, and with a favorable wind sailed along the 
edge of the ice in a northerly direction, until reaching the desired lati- 
tude, it was once more thought best to attempt the desired coast. But 
disappointment again met the crew. After sailing westward one night, 
they found themselves on the morning of the 14th hemmed in again on 
all sides ; fresh ice formed between the floes, besides filling up every pass- 
age, so that the Hansa was fast again; and from this time forward until 
the complete blocking up of his vessel, the captain's log-book unfolds a 
series of troubles, dangers, and reverses. 

For a long time it was hoped that the floes would part and allow the 
unfortunate craft to make toward the coast. Land could be seen at a 
distance of not more than thirty-five miles, and a boat journey over the 
ice and through such channels as occasionally presented themselves, 
seemed to confirm for a time that slender expectation. In the meantime, 
measures were taken to abandon the ship if it should become necessary. 
The sailors' winter clothing was distributed ; the boats were made ready, 
and their respective crews told off; and the plan of their winter house 
was discussed in view of the possibility of being obliged to resort to one. 

Their worst fears were soon realized. On the 19th of October the 
pressure of the ice upon the Hansa began to be tremendous. Huge ice- 
blocks forced themselves under her bow, and though these were crushed 
by the iron sheeting, they raised the forward part of the ship seventeen 



628 THE HANSA ABANDONED. 

feet out of water, or rather out of its former position in the ice. The 
conviction soon seized the minds of the crew that the Hansa must break 
up, and the clothing, nautical instruments, journals, and cards, were in all 
haste taken over the landing-bridge. 

The ship soon began to leak, and it was plain that it must be aban- 
doned. All the provisions that could be secured from the wreck, together 
with fuel, medicine, cigars, and whatever could be easily moved in their 
present importunity, was dragged over the ice to a safe distance from the 
sinking vessel. A house had already been constructed from pieces of 
coal, and to this, their only resort, they were obliged to repair. 

In the meantime the floe on which their residence was built was drift- 
ing steadily to the south. The routine in the black house soon became es- 
tablished, and as it closely resembled that on board ship, the lonely sailors 
readily adapted themselves to it. Care was taken to make the little 
settlement as conspicuous as possible in order that it might be seen by any 
Esquimaux who should happen on the coast. The food was lengthened 
out by the shooting of an occasional walrus, and free use of this article 
of diet was effectual in preventing scurvy, from which the party continued 
remarkably exempt. 

The first days of January were destined to bring sad changes for the 
exiles on the ice. " On the nth," says the narrator, "there were heavy 
storms from the northeast, with driving snow. At six in the morning 
Hildebrandt, who happened to have the watch, burst in with the alarm, 
' All hands turn out !' An indescribable tumult was heard outside. With 
furs and knapsacks all rushed out. But the outer entrance was snowed 
up, so to gain the outside quickly we broke through the snow roof of the 
front hall. The tumult of the elements which met us there was beyond 
anything we had already experienced. Scarcely able to leave the spot, 
we stood huddled together for protection from the bad weather. Sud- 
denly we heard, ' Water on the floe close by !' The floe surrounding us 
split up ; a heavy sea arose. Our field began again to break up on all sides. 
On the spot between our- house and the piled up store of wood, which 
was about twenty-five paces distant, there suddenly opened a large gap. 
Washed by the powerful waves, it seemed as if the piece just broken off 



ILL U IDLER. 629 

was about to fall upon us. * * * The community was divided into 
two parts. We bade each other good-bye with a farewell shake of the 
hand, for the next moment we might go down. Deep despondency had 
taken hold of our scientific friends; the crew were quiet, but desperate. It 
was a miracle that just that part of the floe on which we stood should 
from its soundness, hold together." 

As it was, the house was shattered in fragments, and a temporary 
bivouac in the boats had to be experienced. A new house had to be con- 
structed for temporary use; the boats were drawn nearer the middle of 
the floe, and all exigencies, so far as possible, provided for. So for several 
months the drift to the south continued ; the only hope of release being 
in the boats, when the influence of the now rising sun and the southern 
latitude should open a channel in the rugged pack. 

The month of May- at last arrived, but to the weary watchers on the 
ice release seemed as far off as ever. From the spot where the Hansa 
had foundered, in 71 ° north latitude, they had moved to 61 ° — a distance 
of nearly 700 miles. They were startled to find that only six weeks of 
provisions remained, and that unless efforts were put forth to reach some 
inhabited spot they must expect one by one to drop away from 
starvation. 

A small island called Illuidlek, lay about three miles away, and to 
this it was determined to remove, unless there should be some immediate 
and unlooked for change in the ice. To this point, with much labor and 
many stoppages, they succeeded in dragging the boats and scanty stores. 
Here they spent some days looking in vain for traces of life, and the 
habitations of the Esquimaux whom the old voyager, Graah, had found 
here. Existence could not be sustained here for any protracted period. 
Even the animals, both on land and sea, seemed shy, and unwilling to 
minister to their necessities. Moreover, there was now open water suf- 
ficient to warrant embarking in the boats, and at any rate death upon the 
sea was no more terrible than slow starvation upon a rocky, barren islet. 
Accordingly, on the 6th of June the boats were launched, sails were ex- 
temporized, and the party wei*e once more in motion, glad in the con- 
sciousness of at least making: an effort to save their lives. 



630 AT FREDERICHSTAHL. 

Their aim was Frederichstahl, the nearest colony on the southwest 
coast of Greenland, but they hoped soon to meet one or the other of the 
Esquimaux seal-boats searching the Fiord. No such fortune, however, 
awaited them, though the increasing warmth and signs of vegetation 
along the coast as they sailed by, gave promise of comfort and plenty in 
the near future. 

Rounding Cape Farewell they came in sight of the long wished-for 
Bay of Frederichstahl on the 13th of June. The little settlement situ- 
ated on this bay was the seat of the most southerly of the Moravian 
missions of Greenland. In this far-away place, self-sacrificing men from 
the Fatherland had settled for a life of isolation and toil among the igno- 
rant and almost savage natives of this frozen continent. How the sight 
of their homely red houses cheered our band of weary voyagers, and 
how sweet to them sounded their own mother-tongue, spoken by warm- 
hearted countrymen ! 

From this point the troubles of our voyagers ceased. They were 
soon able to procure passage in a Danish vessel to Copenhagen. From 
this city they sped homeward by rail, and once more trod German soil 
on the 3d of September. 




CHAPTER LXIX. 

THE GERMANIA IN EAST GREENLAND THE BIENENKORB — - CLAVER- 

ING ISLAND SHANNON ISLAND A QUESTION A SLEDGE-JOUR- 
NEY FLIGELY FIORD KUHN ISLAND THE GERMANIA MOORED 

FOR WINTER -RELICS OF A DECAYED COMMUNITY ATTACKED 

BY A BEAR WIDE EXPERIENCE WITH ANIMAL LIFE AN EN- 
COUNTER WITH WALRUSES THE GERMANIA BECOMES FREE 

RETURN TO GERMANIA. 

Let us now retrace our steps to the northward, where we left the 
Germania struggling with the ice of East Greenland, and compare her 
experience with that of her unhappy consort. 

To be separated for a short time from the sister ship under existing 
circumstances, caused no uneasiness; so that at noon of the day that the 
Hansa disappeared in the fog, the Germania set all sail, but soon striking 
upon ice, was obliged to turn. The horizon was eagerly scanned for the 
Hansa, but without success. A whaling vessel, however, was discovered, 
and this last opportunity of sending letters home was eagerly embraced. 
The ship was found to be the Bienenkorb of Bremerhaven. 

"On her deck," says the narrative, "confined in a large cage, was a 
bear and her two cubs ; fortunately for them, on board a whaler they 
were not likely to want for food. One would think that a creature so 
powerful and active could never be taken alive, but on its hunting expe- 
ditions among the drift-ice, it frequently trusts itself to the water, and 
here, in spite of its endurance, man is more active and clever, and with a 
well-managed boat, a lucky cast of the noose generally falls on the neck 
of the swimming bear, when, half-dragged and half-swimming, he is 
hoisted on deck like any other animal, the noose round its neck being a 
guarantee for its good behavior. On their return they are generally 
sold to some menagerie or zoological garden, the price of a full-grown 

bear being 100 thalers (75 American dollars)." 

631 



(532 THE PENDULUM ISLANDS. 

Parting company with the Bienenkorb, the Germania now sought to 
reach the coast of Greenland. Her path was a tortuous one, and full of 
danger. The day-book of the captain shows that at the beginning of 
the journey, after leaving the Hansa, strong northwesterly winds pre- 
vailed, which of course delayed the vessel's progress toward the coast. 
The easterly winds, on the other hand, drove the ice toward the shore, 
which thus became so packed that it was impossible to reach the main- 
land. Several weeks were spent in meeting these obstacles, but the 
efforts of the ship's company were at last rewarded, and on the 5th of 
August they planted their flag on Greenland soil. 

The group of islands which they had now reached, known as the 
Pendulum Islands, were first discovered and appropriated by Clavering, 
in 1823. [See voyage of Clavering.] Far to the north was seen Shan- 
non Island, the largest of the coast islands of Greenland, while south- 
ward lay Sabine Island, only a few miles from the mainland. ' Along 
these islands the expedition hoped to make its way northward, after 
having, according to their instructions, sought for and marked the posi- 
tion of Sabine's observatory. 

The condition of the ice was here first distinctly seen. The straits 
between Sabine Island and the mainland, and also between the several 
islands, were completely blocked with what appeared to be all land ice. 
Further on, between Shannon Island and the mainland, as far as the eye 
could reach, the land was firm, and the conclusion was soon reached that 
there would be no breaking up that year. Along the coast, then, ad- 
vance was impossible, and the only practicable way remaining was along 
the eastern side of Shannon Island. 

"The question," says Koldewey, "has been raised several times, es- 
pecially among inland people, as to why, being unable to advance along 
the land-ice, I did not re-enter the pack and work my way through it 
northward, and, in a higher latitude, again try to reach the coast. This 
is opposed to all experience; it has long been known that in a stream of 
heavy ice, in fact, in the so-called pack, never, nor at any place, with the 
strongest and best steamer, has any considerable progress been made 
without the support of the coast, or the coast islands. Had I wished to 



SLEDGE- <?0 URNE 1 S. 



633 



have reached the coast at a more northerly point, I should have had to 
penetrate the ice-barrier, again to steer along- the northern border, and 
force my way into the pack once more in 7S . Such a proceeding 
would certainly never have been followed by the desired result, and it 
would have been unjustifiable to give up a basis reached with so much 
trouble, to follow a phantom.'" 





A VILLAGE IN SOUTHEAST GREENLAND. 



After some fruitless attempts to make their way along the coast in 
the Germania, the party returned and found winter quarters on Sabine 
Island, a few miles to the south and west of Pendulum Island, the land 
which they had at first reached. It was now planned to devote the winter 
to sledge-joui-neys. The first of these was organized at once, and was 
ready to start on the 14th of September. As on the departure from 



634 FLIGELT FIORD— KUHN ISLAND. 

home the general expectation was that the greatest and most substantial 
discoveries must be made with the ship, their instructions spoke only of 
probable glacier excursions to the interior of the country, and not of 
extensive sledge-journeys along the coast and the banks of the Fiord. 
For the particular necessities of these journeys, therefore, no provision 
was made at the outfitting in Bremen, and the sledge apparatus (tents, 
coverings, and so on) was not quite what was needed. 

They had learned from experience during the summer that the round 
tent with a pole in the center, which they had brought from Bremen, 
was not practically useful; it was, therefore, changed into a four-cornered 
one, and provided with a roof. At each corner a pole ■was placed per- 
pendicularly, and fastened by ropes, held and propped up with stones. 
Their further apparatus consisted of necessary woolen coverings (for 
they had not yet taken to furs), provisions for eight days, of instruments 
notably the theodolite, that essential in all coast surveys, and the cus- 
tomary barometer and thermometer. 

The sledges, which carried about six hundred weight, were drawn by 
six men, the Captain, First Lieut. Payer, Ti'auwitz, Krauschner, Kleutz- 
ner, and Ellinger, traveling -with comparative ease over the almost snow- 
less ice. Fligely Fiord and Kuhn Island were to constitute the objects 
of their investigations, and these points 'were first sought. "The shore 
of the Fiord," says Copeland, " was surrounded by beautiful mountain- 
chains — to the north gneiss — and granite cliffs at the foot of which were 
slopes covered with soft grassy vegetation ; to the south rose ice-crowned 
rocks, the highest of which (we will call it Domberg) was certainly 
more than 3900 feet high. Reindeer came from all sides of the strand 
in a state of wonder; but this time we withstood the desire to hunt, in 
order to lose no time. Only once was the journey interrupted by a 
slight topographical incident. A bear which came near us we frightened 
away by shouting, after which Kleutzner fell through the ice ; he was 
pulled out, and had to cross a long broad breach." 

Fligeby Fiord "was explored and surveyed up to where its inland 
boundary becomes a part of the rugged mainland beyond. On Kuhn 
Island Lieut. Payer noticed a stone of exceedingly light color, which on 



,4 DEC AT ED COMMUNITY. 635 

the south side of the island formed solid overhanging crystals, to at 
least 2000 feet high. Leaving the sledge, to his great astonishment he 
stumbled upon a layer of coal, its strata alternating with sandstone. 
Further investigations proved the existence of the carboniferous deposit 
in large quantities — possibly a useful factor in the future development, 
or subjugation, of East Greenland. The party soon returned to the ship, 
having walked a distance of 133 miles. 

The months of September and October were spent in making prep^ 
arations for the coming winter. The Germania was released from the 
icy bands which the early fall had cast about her, and was drawn closer 
to the body of Sabine's Island, where, moored in a convenient bay, she 
could fearlessly withstand the shocks common to vessels wintering with- 
in the Arctic circle. On the nth of October the ship was surrounded 
with a wall made of blocks of ice frozen together, and a sort of break- 
water or boundary to the little harbor was constructed of the same 
material. 

The winters spent by most American and British explorers in Arctic 
regions have been somewhat ameliorated by companionship with natives. 
The consciousness that other human beings can and do live in these des- 
olated regions is a great source of comfort to sojourners in the north, es- 
pecially when this knowledge is gained by actual contact with the deni- 
zens of the ice. Up to this point, however, our explorers had seen no 
trace of natives, nor indeed any signs of their having formerly occupied 
this portion of Greenland. The conclusion, therefore, was that the Es- 
quimaux had either deserted their former abodes, or had become extinct. 
Clavering, in 1823, had found an Esquimaux settlement on the island 
bearing his name, but both natives and their habitations had now disap- 
peared. A few skeletons and rude implements alone remained to tell the 
story of the decayed community. 

Fall, winter, and spring found the voyagers usefully employed in ex- 
ploring and surveying the fiords and gulfs of East Greenland, in taking 
magnetic readings, and in compiling tabulated statements of their scien- 
tific discoveries. The absence of dogs and reindeer made their labors 
very severe. Supplies, tents, instruments, all the paraphernalia of an 



636 ATTACKED BY A BEAR. 

Arctic sledge-journey had to be dragged through the snow by the men 
themselves, the officers participating in this labor with appropriate en- 
thusiasm. In this way several degrees of the eastern wall of the conti- 
nent of Greenland were accurately explored and laid down. 

It is probable that no expedition has had so varied and thrilling an ex- 
perience with the animal life of the north as the party of our present 
narration. Almost no journey was undertaken without more or less 
danger from the immense bears -which inhabit these regions, and some- 
times the creatures approached the vessel itself with great boldness. An 
incident occurred on the 6th of March, in which a valued member of 
the expedition nearly lost his life from the boldness of one of these 
beasts. 

" We were sitting," writes Lieut. Payer, "fortunately silent m the 
cabin, when Koldewey suddenly heard a faint cry for help. We all hur- 
riedly tumbled up the companion-ladder to the deck, when an exclama- 
tion from Borgen, 'A bear is carrying me off,' struck painfully on our ears. 

" It was quite dark ; we could scarcely see anything, but we made di- 
rectly for the quarter whence the cry proceeded, armed with poles, 
weapons, etc., Over hummocks and drifts, when an alarm shot which we 
fired into the air, seemed to make some impression, as the bear dropped 
his prey, and ran forward a few paces. He turned again, however, drag- 
ging his victim over the broken shore-ice, close to a field which stretched 
in a southei'ly direction. All depended upon our coming up with him 
before he should reach this field, as he would carry his prey over the open 
plain with the speed of a horse, and thus escape. We succeeded. The 
bear turned upon us for a moment, and then, scared by our continuous 
fire, let fall his prey. 

" We lifted our poor comrade upon the ice to bear him to his cabin, 
a task which was rendered difficult by the slippery and uneven surface 
of the ice. But after we had gone a little way, Bdrgen implored us to 
make as much haste as possible. On procuring a light the coldest nature 
would have been shocked by the spectacle which poor Borgen presented. 
The bear had torn his scalp in several places, and he had received several 
injuries in other parts of his body. His clothes and hair were saturated 



OBSERVATIONS ON ANIMALS. 637 

with blood. We improvised a couch for him in the rear of our own 
cabin, as his own was not large enough. 

' ; The first operation was performed upon him on the cabin table. 
And here we may briefly notice the singular fact that, although he had 
been carried more than one hundred paces with his skull almost laid 
bare, at a temperature of — 13 Fahrenheit, his scalp healed so perfectly 
that not a portion was missing." Dr. Borgen's youth and vigorous 
constitution soon enabled him to throw off the evil effects of the shock 
to which he had been subjected, but the whole party from that time were 
careful not to wander forth alone in the dark. 

The observations of the party were carried on with the characteristic 
German accuracy. Particular attention was given by the naturalists to 
the animal life both of land and sea, as well as to the scanty flora exhibited 
among the barren rocks on which they had fallen. Space fails us to give 
in detail the results of these investigations, but they form a very important 
chapter in the natural history of the north. Actual contact in the hunt, 
with much of the animal life, gave them an opportunity to generalize 
from real observation upon the characteristics and habits of the north- 
ern fauna. Bear, musk-ox, hare, fox, lemming, and sea-horse— all passed 
under the scientific knife of Pansch and Borgen, and the fact that their 
little stock of provisions must be lengthened in some original way, made 
the opportunities for these investigations more frequent than they would 
otherwise have been. Indeed, these animals were sought, not more for 
scientific purposes, than for a more obvious and substantial utility. 

The encounters with many of these animals are said to have been at- 
tended with the greatest danger. The appearance and mode of warfare of 
the walrus is graphically described by an eye-witness: " If any creature 
deserve the name of monster, it is the walrus. It is from nine feet six 
inches to sixteen feet six inches in length, weighs about two thousand 
pounds, and its skin is three and a half inches thick (a sort of massive 
coat of mail), with large eye, and a head of infinite ugliness. 

" Should one of these monsters see a boat, it raises itself, astonished, 
above the surface, utters at once a cry of alarm, swimming toward it 
as quickly as possible. This call brings up others, awakens the sleepers 




638 



CONCLUSION OF THE VOYAGE. 639 

which the boat had carefully avoided, and in a short time the vessel is 
followed by a number of these monsters, blustering in apparent or real 
fury in all their hideousness. 

" The creatures may possibly be only actuated by curiosity, but their 
manner of showing it is so ill-chosen that one feels obliged to act on the 
defensive. The bellowing, jerking and diving herd is now but a short 
distance from the boat. The first shot strikes, thus inflaming their 
wrath, and now begins a wild fight, in which some of the black sphinxes 
are struck with axes on the flippers with which they threaten to over- 
turn the boat." On the ice, however, the sea-horse falls an easy victim 
to stratagem, as his means of locomotion on this element are very limited. 

As spring advanced, the crew of the Germania made preparations for 
their homeward journey. The vessel, so long a prisoner in icy chains, 
became free about the first of July, and the engine being repaired as well 
as circumstances would permit, some cruising was done as a finishing 
touch to the work of the season. After examining Shannon Island and 
vicinity they departed for Germany, where they arrived on the nth of 
September, after an uneventful voyage of three weeks. They found 
their countrymen at home wild with excitement on account of recent vic- 
tories over the French, but none the less glad to welcome the sailors, 
who had shown perhaps as much daring in facing the stern weather of 
the north, as the regulars had exhibited before the guns of the enemy. 

The light thrown on the Arctic question by the voyages of trie Hansa 
and Germania seemed to justify the following conclusions: Uninterrupted 
-open coast water along the coast of East Greenland had been proved not 
to exist; and it was shown that the coast water was dependent merely 
on local circumstances. East Greenland was proved not to form a suita- 
ble basis for reaching the North Pole, even setting aside the possibility 
of reaching a higher latitude by ship along the coast in more favorable 
years. On the other hand, by inquiries into the geology, natural history, 
and climate of the country itself, and by the investigation of the large 
fiords and their extent north and south, a new basis for promoting Arc- 
tic discoveries had been created, promising rich results, which may even- 
tually assist in a substantial way in solving the Arctic problem. 



CHAPTER LXX. 

HALL'S SECOND VOYAGE DISCOVERS RELICS OF FRANKLIN THE 

POLARIS OFFICERS SELECTED FOR THIRD VOYAGE EBIERBING 

AND TOOKOOLITO A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION THE HIGHEST 

POINT LAST WORDS PENNED BY HALL SLEDGE-JOURNEY TO 

THE NORTH SICKNESS AND DEATH OF HALL COMMENTS ON 

HALL THE POLARIS IN DANGER — NINETEEN PERSONS LEFT ON 

THE ICE — ; A DRIFT OF NEARLY TEN DEGREES. 

Hall undertook his second voyage to the Arctic regions in 1S64, sail- 
ing from New London, Conn., in a whaling ship commanded by Capt. 
Buddington. His only companions were Ebierbing and his wife Tookoo- 
lito, the Esquimaux who had accompanied him to America on his return 
from his first expedition. It was his ambition to reach King William's 
Land and explore it. As soon as Hudson's Bay was reached he landed, 
pushed north as far as Hecla and Fury Bay, after which he entered the 
land of his search. He remained four winters in King William's Land, 
living with the natives during the entire time, principally near Repulse 
Bay. He made himself familiar with their habits and customs, and be- 
came proficient in their language. From all that could be learned from 
the Esquimaux he became thoroughly convinced that the greater portion 
of Franklin's party had died of starvation in that country, but few ox 
them succeeding in reaching the mainland. Many relics of the ill-fated 
Franklin Expedition were found by him and brought to America, but the 
most diligent and persistent search failed to discover , any documents 
which could shed any light upon the mystery, from which it is supposed 
that when compelled to hastily abandon the ships the records were left 
behind and lost; and that the ships were left in a hurry, is evidenced by 
the fact that no stores or provisions have ever been found. It did, how- 
ever, appear reasonably certain that Franklin had succeeded in passing 

640 



THE POLARIS. 641 

as far westward as any point since reached, and that to his enterprise is 
really due the discovery of the much sought Northwest Passage. 

Of Hall's second expedition but little has ever been written — noth- 
ing by himself. He had armed himself with full and complete notes, 
which he intended to furnish the public upon the completion of his third 
voyage and the discovery of the Pole, of which he felt confident. 

After his return home he worked laboriously to prevail upon the 
government to fit out another Arctic expedition, and after months of toil 
his efforts were finally successful ; then was placed at his disposal every- 
thing which thoughtful humanity could devise to insure the success 
of his undertaking. The schooner-rigged steamer Periwinkle, four hun- 
dred tons burden, was purchased, and fitted up in such a manner as to 
make her equal to the new service required of her. To her sides were 
added six inches of solid oak planking, and her bows were transformed 
into an almost solid mass, encased in iron which ended with a sharp cut- 
water. In order to better avoid the dangers sure to be encountered in 
the ice the propellor was so arranged that it could easily be removed 
from its place, and deposited on deck. In case of accident extra ma- 
chinery and rigging were provided. To meet the special service in which 
they were to engage the boats were built of superior strength, and in 
order that it might be easily transported over ice when it intervened 
between open waters, one, with a capacity of four tons, was built, which 
weighed only two hundred and fifty pounds. Everything which could 
be thought of was provided for the comfort, safety, and success of the 
officers and men about to engage in so difficult and perilous an expedi- 
tion in the most cheerless and deserted region ever penetrated by man. 
As soon as the vessel had been refitted she was very appropriately 
re-christened the Polaris — "The Pole Star." 

As soon as the expedition became a settled fact, Capt. Hall at once 
commenced selecting his officers and crew. The expedition was to be 
under his immediate command. His eight years' experience in the Arc- 
tic regions, a knowledge of the Esquimaux language, and the happy 
faculty of maintaining strict discipline without losing popularity among 
his men, certainly qualified him for the position, The sailing-master, 



642 THE SHIP'S CO MP ANT, 

Sydney O. Buddington, had made eleven whaling voyages, covering a 
period of thirty years, and was in command of the George Henry when 
Hall made his first trip in her in search of Franklin. George E. Tyson 
was selected as assistant navigator; Hubbard Chester, first mate; Will- 
liam Morton, second mate, who twenty }^ears before had been Kane's 
best man, and who discovered what Kane then believed to be an open 
polar sea, but which has since proven to be merely an expansion of 
Smith's Sound; Emil Bessel, who was armed with high testimonials 





HIGHEST POINT ACHIEVED BY THE POLARIS. 



from Germany, was placed in charge of the scientific department, a posi- 
tion held previously in an exjoedition sent out by the Prussian Govern- 
"ment. In addition to these were Emil Schumann, chief engineer; 
Frederick Meyer," meteorologist; R. D. W. Bryan, astronomer and chap- 
lain; the Esquimaux Ebierbing, his wife Tookoolito, and their child 
" Puny," who was born to them after the death of " Butterfly " in this 
countiy. Ebierbing was to act as interpreter and hunter. In all capaci- 
ties the crew numbered seventeen, about one-half of whom were Ger- 
mans or Scandinavians. To this number, upon their arrival at Greenland, 



HIGHEST POINT OF POLARIS. 643 

was added a dog-driver, the Hans Christian of Kane and Hayes, with 
his wife and three children. 

On June 29, 187 1, the Polaris steamed out of New York harbor, and 
on the 13th of July reached St. John's, Newfoundland, where the gov- 
ernor and citizens extended to the expedition a hearty welcome. From 
St. John's they proceeded up Davis' Straits and arrived at Holsteinborg, 
Greenland, on the 31st. They remained there purchasing dogs, furs and 
other articles necessary until the arrival of the transport, Congress, with 
additional stores and supplies; after which, on Aug. 17, the journey to 
the Pole was fairly commenced. Stops were made at Upernavik and 
Kong-i-toke, for the purchase of more dogs, and on the 2 2d, Tessuisac 
was reached, the most northern permanent settlement on the globe, being 
in latitude 70 30'. 

When they were in Holsteinborg there was a difference of opinion 
between Hall and his scientific associates as to the course to be pursued. 
Hall's object was to reach the Pole, and to this he determined that all 
else should be subordinate. The dispute was adjusted, and Hall's view 
prevailed. During the three days they remained at Tessuisak he wrote 
a lengthy dispatch, showing that all the party were in excellent spirits, 
and full of hope, but this dispatch did not reach the United States for 
nearly a year. 

On the 24th of August, 187 1, the Polaris entered the regions of per- 
petual ice and snow, and from that time until the 30th of April, 1873, 
not a word was heard from the expedition by the civilized world. When 
the Polaris left Tessuisak she crossed the head of Melville Bay; passed 
Northumberland Island, going, through Smith's Sound. Meeting with 
very little obstruction from the ice, she proceeded until she entered what 
Kane, Morton, and Hayes pronounced the Open Polar Sea, but which 
proved to be but an expansion of the sound, and to which the name of 
Kane Sea has since been given. In a week they reached their highest 
northern point, 82 29' by Hall's reckoning, and 82 16' by Meyer's 
calculation, a difference of about fifteen miles. On Aug. 30 the channel 
which had been named Robeson Strait, became blocked with floating 
ice, through which it was found impossible to make a passage. A small 



644 LAST WORDS PENNED BY HALL. 

bay was found close by named Refuge Harbor, in which Hall desired to 
take winter quartet's. A consultation, however, decided against this, and 
soon after the ice became master of the situation, drifting the Polaris in 
a southerly direction for four days. The pack opened on Sept. 3, and 
a cove was made to the eastward, which set into the Greenland shore. 
An immense iceberg sheltered its mouth, and here it was determined to 
pass the winter. The cove is in latitude So° 38', and was named Polaris 
Bay, while the huge island of ice was designated Providenceberg. This 
point is about two hundred miles north of Kane's famous winter quar- 
ters, and about three miles north of the farthest point reached by Hayes. 
The iceberg was used as a mooring place for the Polaris, an obser- 
vatory was at once established, scientific work was commenced immedi- 
ately, and Hall began preparations for a sledge journey in the direc- 
tion of the Pole, which were soon completed. On October 10 he 
started with four sledges and fourteen dogs, accompanied by Chester, 
the mate, and the Esquimaux, Ebierbing and Hans. The expedi- 
tion was planned to last two weeks, one to go north, and the other 
in which to return. On the evening of the 20th Hall wrote the last 
words ever penned by him, which were a communication to the Sec- 
retary of the Navy. It was a description of their voyage up to the 
time of settling down in their winter quarters, and was full of words of 
hope and confidence in the success of the expedition. A copy of the 
dispatcli was placed in a pillar at Brevoort Cape, the northern head- 
land of the bay, where the encampment was made on the 21st of 
October, 1S71. The original, which was first read in Washington 
nearly two years after it was written, showed conclusively that he was 
confident of success, and, taken in connection with the one written form- 
erly, refuted the charges that the equipment of the Polaris was incom- 
plete. The expedition advanced north ten days, making six encamp- 
ments and progressing seventy miles, or about S3 5' north. At that 
point there was an appearance of land still north of them, but a cloud 
prevented any observation which would definitely settle the matter. 
With the exception of a glacier on the east side of the strait, com- 
mencing in latitude 8o° 30' north, the mountains on all sides of Kennedy 



SICKNESS OF HALL. 



045 



Channel and Robeson Strait were free from snow and ice. Live seals, 
geese, ducks, musk cattle, rabbits, wolves, foxes, bears, partridges, 
lemmings, etc., were found in abundance. On the 13th, three days after 
they started, the Arctic night set in, the thermometer then being 7 . 

The return trip was made rapidly, the party reaching the Polaris in 
four days. Hall was apparently in his usual health, but the change from 
an open air temperature of from 15 to 20 below zero, to the atmos- 
phere of the cabin of 60 ° or 70 above, had a bad effect upon him, and 





BURIAL OF HALL. 



he partook of no refreshment except a cup of coffee. After indulging 
in a hot sponge bath, he retired for the night. In the morning his con- 
dition had changed for the worse, and he suffered much from a burning 
in the throat, and vomiting. He steadily grew worse for a week, and to 
the complications were added partial paralysis and delirium. He par- 
tially recovered and made an attempt to resume his work, believing 
that in a few days he would be completely restored to health. In this he 
was doomed to disappointment, as on the night of Nov. S he had a 
fresh attack, and was found in his cabin by Tyson, insensible, and breath- 



646 COMMENTS ON HALL. 

ing heavily. That night he died, and three days later he was laid in a 
shallow grave in the ' frozen ground. The doctor pronounced the cause 
of death to be apoplexy, but Hall believed that poison had been placed 
in the cup of coffee which he drank, and in the delirium which preceded 
his death he imagined that every person who went near him was en- 
deavoring to kill him. In regard to the matter, the commission reported 
without a dissenting voice that " the death of Capt. Hall resulted natu- 
rally from disease, without fault on the part of any one." 

Physically, Hall was an exceptional man. His tenacity of life and 
powers of endurance were far above those of ordinary men. Above 
medium height, he was powerfully built, with broad chest, muscular 
limbs, and a large head. He was remarkable for his temperate habits, 
and after his return from his second expedition, after passing through the 
ordeal of an Arctic winter, a more robust man could not have been 
found. In the event of Hall's death the command was to fall upon Bud- 
dington. The winter was passed in the usual manner in that region, 
but no trouble was experienced from cold or want of food. The scien- 
tific observations were made constantly, and whenever it was possible to 
do so, the coast was surveyed. Whenever the opportunity was favorable, 
the Esquimaux hunted with success, and in this manner an abundance of 
skins was procured. The storerooms were also well filled with the 
skeletons of animals and birds, eggs, and many other curiosities of natural 
history. Nets and lines were set, but no fish could be caught. Con- 
siderable driftwood was picked up, which had evidently found its way 
there from a warmer climate. 

A fierce gale from the northeast, about two weeks after the death of 
Hall, drove the Polaris from her moorings, and she dragged her anchors 
until she landed against the iceberg at the mouth of the cove, where she 
was secured, and remained there until June following. Later she was 
driven further on the berg by pack ice, where her prow remained fast, 
while the stern moved up and down, as influenced by the tides. This 
position strained the stern-piece and started a portion of the planking, so 
that when she once more settled in her native element it was found that 
she leaked considerably. However, when emptied once by the steam 



A BOAT EXPEDITION. 



G47 



pumps it was an easy matter to keep the hold clear by working- a few 
minutes each hour. 

Chester and Tyson, under orders from Buddington, undertook a boat 
expedition early in June. The orders were to go as far as they could up 
the shore. The expedition was a failure. One boat was crushed by the 
ice almost at the hour of starting. Its place was supplied by the canvas 
boat, but they failed to reach a point as far north as that reached by Hall 
in his sledge-journey. They remained there until the middle of July, 
1872, but before the ice opened they were recalled by Buddington, and 

the party was compelled 
=== to abandon the boats and 
H make their way back to 
■ the steamer overland. 
MB Buddington had deter- 
mined to return home as 
soon as the ice would 
ygSB leave him #t liberty to do 
^ so, and under existing 
circumstances this 
seemed the wiser course, 
although it is not believed 
that had Hall been living 
he would have consented 




GRAVE OF HALL. 



to It. 



The ice left the Polaris free early in August, and she steamed slowly 
down the western shore. At the close of the first day she was fastened 
in the ice, and was in a very dangerous position. In latitude So° 2 ' she 
was made fast to a floe on the 16th, which drifted her hither and thither 
in Smith's Sound for two months, during which time not more than 
twelve miles were gained to the south, bringing her in the neighborhood 
of Northumberland Island, in latitude 79 ° 53'. Apprehending danger, 
provisions were carried on deck, a canvas shelter was erected on the icei 
and every {^reparation made for a speedy abandonment of the vessel 
should it become necessary. 



648 ON THE ICE. 

A very severe gale set in from the south on Oct. 15. The ice pressed 
in under the ship, and she was actually lifted out of the water and thrown 
on her beam ends on the ice. Provisions and stores were thrown over, 
and under orders about half the crew proceeded to carry them to a more se- 
cure place. The boats had been lowered, and in the middle of the 
night, in the midst of a terrific storm, the Polaris broke loose and imme- 
diately disappeared, leaving on the ice the nineteen persons who had 
gone there to save the provisions, at which they labored all night. In the 
morning they attempted to reach the shore, but failed. The Polaris was 
seen during the day under sail and steam, but soon changed her course, 
and disappeared. Another glimpse of her was caught a few hours later, 
but she again disappeared, and they very naturally believed that they had 
been purposely abandoned. 

The hardships endured by those who were left upon the ice are be- 
yond description. For one hundred and ninety-five days these nineteen 
men, women, and children drifted on floating ice through an Arctic win- 
ter, at the mercy of wind and water. The floe upon which they found 
themselves on leaving the ship was soon shattered, and the party found 
themselves distributed on different pieces of ice. They had two boats, 
with which they finally succeeded in gathering all upon the principal 
floe, where they remained more dead than alive, all night. Several at- 
tempts were made to reach the shore. The dogs and sledges were put 
in readiness, and each attempt to escape ^proved a dismal failure. When 
it was seen that there was no prospect of reaching the shore snow- 
houses were built, and everything possible was done to make the time 
pass comfortably and pleasantly. Land was seen for several days, but as the 
weather was unfavorable for taking observations, it could not be recog- 
nized. Sometimes they were in a condition bordering on starvation, and 
saw death staring them in the face. Cannibalism was thought of, but 
each time food was furnished in time to save them. 

Meyer succeeded in taking an observation on New Year's Eve, and 
found they were in latitude 72 io', longitude 60 ° 40' ; showing that in 
nine weeks they had drifted southward about five hundred and twenty- 
five miles. This was cheering news, though the thermometer stood 



A PERILOUS POSITION. 



(549 



39 below zero. This was early in Janua-ry. In February they en- 
countered several storms, and very cold weather. The close of the 
month found them nearly out of provisions, but early in March they 
caught some seals, and had food in abundance. Immense icebergs sur- 
rounded the floe, and it was soon cracking and splitting with as much noise 
as is made by artillery and musketry in battle. Everything was broken 
in pieces, and the party stuck to the largest piece. On the last day of 
March an observation showed them to be in latitude 59 41% and that 
during the last five days they had drifted at the rate of twenty-three 
miles per day. At that time their piece of ice had grown much smaller, 
and they were in clear water, no other ice being in sight. 




-*£,/. \ 



CHAPTER LXXI. 

ADVENTURES OF TYSON AND PARTY ON THE ICE MEYER SWEPT 

AWAY AN AGONY OF SUSPENSE -THE INEVITABLE GALE 

AGAIN A SIGHT OF THE STARS RESCUED AT LAST EXPERI- 
ENCES OF THE POLARIS CREW THE SHIP ABANDONED ON THE 

OCEAN IN BOATS PICKED UP ARRIVE AT DUNDEE. 

The month of April came in with a terrific storm, and it became evi- 
dent to our adventurers that they must leave the ice and take refuge in 
the boat. They got under way early in the morning, but found their 
craft leaking badly, and loaded too deep to carry them. Meat and clothes 
were thrown overboard, and nothing was carried but a tent, a few skins 
for covering, and a little bread and pemmican. About fifteen miles were 
made in a southerly direction, when a landing was made to lighten the 
boat. The tent was pitched, and the party remained all night, although 
the ice was cracking and breaking up all around them. The voyage 
was resumed again in the morning, but had only proceeded about two 
hours before they encountered a gale. They had a number of narrow 
escapes before a piece of ice large enough to land upon could be found; 
upon landing, the boat was rapidly making water, and when cleared, 
a great hole was found in her side. Repairs were made as soon as possi- 
ble, and they took to the water, only to find themselves again surrounded 
by ice in such a manner that they were compelled to seek refuge on a 
floe. Gale succeeded gale, and as the ice continued to break they were 
constantly removing their things to a new center. On the night of the 
7th it broke again, carrying with it the boat, the kayak, and Mr. Meyer. 
For a time it seemed as though all were lost. The ice kept closing in 
on them and they were without hope of saving the boats or their unfor- 
tunate companion. When daylight arrived an attempt was made to res- 
cue them, all the party, except two, venturing away on the ice. All who 

650 



AN AGONT OF SUSPENSE. 651 

ventured reached the boat in safety, and with much difficulty she was 
taken hack, and Meyer was saved. The kayak was then secured 
in a similar manner. The tent was taken down and erected again 
on the center of what had then become a small piece of ice, and 
a snow hut was constructed at its side. Again the wind commenced 
blowing a gale, and preparations were made to take to the boat. 
They were literally washed out of the tent and snow hut. The 
women and children were placed in the boat without a dry spot, 
and without so much as a piece of fresh water ice to eat. The storm 
soon abated, however, and the tent was pitched once more. The 
six months of the voyage on the ice were completed April 16. At that 
time they were still without any prospect of a rescue, and starvation was 
staring them in the face. Seals were in sight all around them, but none 
could be caught. Only a few days' provisions were left, and cannibalism 
was staring them in the face. On the iSth a small hole was discovered 
in the ice some distance off, from which a seal large enough for three 
days' provisions was secured, and divided equally among the party. On 
the 20th a sea struck the ice, and carried away everything which was loose 
upon it. This was repeated every fifteen minutes, and it kept all busy 
looking for a place which would enable them to successfully withstand 
the next shock. 

The agony of suspense continued ten days longer, and in that brief 
space were crowded many perilous adventures, which were a severe tax 
on the endurance of the sufferers. An observation showed that they 
were in latitude 53 57', a distance of 1,875 miles in a straight line south 
from the point whei'e they started. Each day passed, as did its predecessor, 
the sufferers being all wet and hungry. Sometimes they came within sight 
of land, but were always driven off again. Meyer seemed to fare worst 
of all, and his chances for surviving more than a few days longer were 
considered slender, although all were in a deplorable condition, and had 
suffered indescribable tortures. Skins that had been tanned and saved for 
clothing were devoured as a dainty morsel, but even this did not last long, 
and on April 26 they found themselves without a morsel of food. On 
that day a bear was discovered on the ice, moving toward them. The 



652 THE STARS IN SIGHT. 

Esquimaux, Joe and Hans, took their guns, and at once went to 
meet it, the result being that the bear, which came after a meal, was 
soon the substance of one. That night another gale sprung up, accom- 
panied by heavy rain and snow squalls. By morning the ice upon which 
they had taken refuge had so wasted away that it became evident it 
would not outride the gale, and they were compelled to take the desper- 
ate chance of a stormy ocean, in a light boat, insecurely patched, and 
overloaded. The danger was great, but the boat survived the storm, its 
occupants being thoroughly drenched, without any chance to dry them- 
selves, having seen neither sun, moon, nor stars, for a week. They soon 
struck a sealing ground, where they found more seals than they had ever 
seen before, but for some time were unable to secure any. They were, 
however, at last successful, and had seal food in abundance. The ice 
soon became very thick around them. They again started in the boat, 
but were soon compelled to land on the ice again, where they repaired 
the boat, and dried their clothing to some extent. On the 28th of 
April the inevitable gale commenced again, and all night they stood by 
the boat, launching her in the morning, but were compelled to haul her 
up on the ice, where icebergs threatened her destruction, but which they 
fortunately escaped by taking to a floe. The ice became slacker, and 
during that afternoon they caught sight of a steamer ahead of them and 
a little to the north. They hoisted their colors, and endeavored to cut 
her off, but she disappeared without seeing them. Wearied with hard- 
ship and disappointment, they landed for the night on a small piece of 
ice. 

For the first time in many nights they beheld the stars, and the new 
moon also made her appearance. A fire was kept up all night in the 
hope that they would be seen by the steamer; though in this they were 
disappointed. In the morning they started early, and at daylight again 
sighted the steamer about five miles off. The boat was launched, and 
for an hour they gained on her, but in another hour they became 
fastened in the ice, and could proceed no further. Landing on a piece of ice 
they hoisted their colors upon the most elevated point they could find, and 
then fired three rounds from their rifles and pistols, which were answered 



THE TIGRESS. 



653 



by three shots from the steamer. She was again seen the same evening, 
and while looking for her, another steamer hove in sight, on the other 
side. 

The morning of Wednesday, April 30, was thick and foggy, hut 
when the fog broke a glorious sight met the eyes of the drifting party. 
A steamer was seen close to them, and as soon as they were discovered 





CAPT. GEO. K. TYSON. 

she bore down, and soon all were on board the staunch little craft 
Tigi'ess, ending their perilous journey in latitude 52 35' north. The 
Tigress was in command of Capt. Bartlett, and was owned in New- 
foundland. Some time after, the party was landed in safety at St. John's, 
Newfoundland, and a few days later the tidings of their rescue reached 
the United States. A steamer was dispatched bv the government from 



THE POLARIS ABANDONED. 655 

New York to bring the party to Washington, where they arrived early 
in the month of June. 

Thus closes what is probably the most remarkable voyage in the his- 
tory of navigation. It is marvelous that nineteen persons, two of whom 
were women, and five children, one of them only two months old, 
should have drifted almost two thousand miles, for one hundred and 
ninety-five days through an Arctic winter of extraordinary severity, 
alive, and in good health. The harmony which existed among the party 
was striking. No one had a word of blame for any of his fellows, and 
the men, gathered as they were from nearly all nationalities, always 
thought first of what could be done for the Esquimaux women and 
children. In his testimony before the commissioners, one of the men said: 
"Capt. Tyson had command on the ice; but he never seemed to take 
much of a lead. Eveiything seemed to go on very well. There was 
not a great deal of commanding; it was not wanted. When we did 
not do as he directed, it turned out wrong." 

Let us now return to that portion of the expedition rem ailing on the 
Polaris after the sudden separation on the 15th of October, 1S72. For a 
long time she had been leaking so badly that it was evident she could 
not float many days, and it was resolved to abandon her. Everything 
which could possibly be of use in a sojourn in that wilderness of ice and 
snow, was taken out. The hawsers which held the steamer to the ice- 
floe parted, and she drifted away in a helpless manner. The lives of 
those on board were in great danger. It was clear she was in no con- 
dition to reach port, so it was determined to keep her afloat and beach 
her at some point where the stores could be saved. Her engines were 
useless, having evidently frozen up. Fortunately the ice cracked, and an 
opening was made through which a favorable wind blew her to the 
shore, distant about twelve miles. The beaching - was successfully 
accomplished, and the work of providing shelter for the winter was im- 
mediately commenced The ship was stripped of all her material as 
rapidly as possible, and soon became a mere hulk. The timbers between 
deck were taken out, and all the planking and boarding removed. From 
this material a hut was built and roofed over with sails. A party of 



6o6 



BUILDING BOATS. 



Esquimaux made their appearance, and for some strips of iron helped to 
cany the provisions, coal and stores from the dismantled Polaris to the 
hut. Having been extremely successful in their hunting expeditions they 
had a large surplus of skins which they disposed of to the party, and 
from which was manufactured warm, though odorous, clothing. During 
the long winter they suffered little. The snow which fell banked up the 
hut and protected its inmates from the cold, while the Polaris formed a 
convenient wood pile, where they obtained all the fuel they needed. 
Their provisions were ample for a time, but they knew they would soon 











PERILOUS SITUATION OF THE POLARIS. 



be exhausted, and became fearful of their fate. They knew that for at 
least a year no news of the probable loss of the Polaris would reach the 
United States. " How should they escape," was the great question pro- 
pounded by each. There is always a man for every emergency, and in 
the present instance Chester, the mate, proved the hero. Assisted by the 
carpenter, Coffin, he set about building some boats, or scows, from the 
boards which had been used as a lining for the cabin. The work was 
patiently persevered in, and as summer drew near, the boats were finished, 



ARRIVE AT DUNDEE. 657 

Scurvy, that dreaded disease of the Arctic regions, made its appear- 
ance, but following the teachings of the dead Hall, the men abandoned 
the use of salt food, lived on raw walrus liver, and soon the malady was 
eradicated. 

A fortunate thing for the partv was the unusually early appearance 
of good weather. By the middle of June the ice commenced giving 
way, and at the earliest possible moment thereafter they took to the 
boats, and commenced their voyage in search of transportation home, 
with the odds fearfully against their success. While they were on their 
way the Tigress and Juniata were being fitted out to go in search of 
them. 

The frailty of their boats compelled them to proceed slowly and cau- 
tiously. During the day they rowed along, and each night the boats 
were hauled up on the~ ice, where the only warm meal for the day was 
enjoyed. Their stove was a slight improvement on the Esquimaux 
lamp, and their fuel was oil, while their wicks were strips of rope, and 
the fire-place a remnant of an iron kettle. A snowstorm delayed them 
several days at Hakluyt Island, a breeding place for the auks, which 
were at that time hatching their young, and which supplied them an 
abundance of food limited only by their powers of consumption and the 
means of carrying it away. 

After leaving the island their progress through the slush was very 
slow and laborious. They skirted the solid ice-floes until July 20, and 
just two days before the Tigress left New York in search of them, they 
sighted a vessel, which soon discovered them, and took them on board. 
She proved to be a Scottish whaler, the Ravenscraig. Not having se- 
cured a full cargo, and wishing to do so before he returned home, the 
captain of the Ravenscraig transferred the party to another steam 
whaler, the Arctic, homeward bound, and on the afternoon of Sept. 17 
they landed at Dundee, Scotland. Their arrival was at once telegraphed 
to London, and the safety of the crew of the Polaris was announced the 
following morning in the American papers. 

Thus ended one of the most -wonderful voyages on record. Out of 

the forty men, women and children comorising the expedition, only one 

42 



658 REGRETS FOR THE DEATH OF HALL. 

death, that of Capt. Hall, occurred, a most marvelous preservation of life 
amid the greatest danger to which mariners were ever subjected. The 
unfortunate decease of Hall in the infancy of the enterprise prevented the 
accomplishment of such results as were desired and expected. With the 
commander died the hope and heart of the expedition, and no further 
attempt at discovery or original exploration was made. The loss of so 
brave and skillful a navigator may well be an occasion for the deepest 
sorrow and regret amongst all who reverence and admire American 
prowess and heroism. 




CHAPTER LXXII. 

AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EXPEDITION A PIONEER EXPEDITION THE 

ISBJORN INFERENCES THE TEGETTHOFF ARCTIC SCENES 

BESET THE FLOE CRACKS A TERRIBLE WATCH A HOUSE ON 

THE ICE GREAT DISCOVERIES FALL OF A SLEDGE FRANZ 

JOSEF'S LAND A NECESSARY CONCLUSION MARCH TO THE SEA 

SAVED BY A RUSSIAN WHALER. 

The failure of the second German Expedition of Koldewey directed 
the attention of after navigators away from the ice-packs of Greenland 
to the more open seas of Nova Zembla. Although for many reasons, 
among them her comparatively inland position and political relations, 
the government of Austria had been prevented from taking any active 
part in the great geographical problems of the times, an interest in 
polar researches gradually developed into a determination to send her 
flag upon the peaceful quest of new discoveries in the frozen north. A 
large-hearted nobleman contributed 40,000 florins to such an enterprise, 
thus not only confirming but endowing the resolution. In order, how- 
ever, not to waste a large amount of money and labor upon an impracti- 
cable scheme, it was determined to send out a so-called pioneer expedition 
under the joint command of Lieuts. Payer and Weyprecht. The knowl- 
edge and experience thus gained induced the government, as we shall 
see, to send out another vessel with a more extensive outfit to spend, 
as the need might be, two or more winters in the Arctic seas. 

Both of the officers in whose charge the enterprise was given were 
men of sterling qualities and undoubted ability. Weyprecht had been 
given the command of one of the German expeditions, but a fit of sick- 
ness had prevented his carrying out the plan which made him the com- 
mander of the party. Lieut. Payer has already been mentioned as a 

participator in the German expedition which returned in 1S70. Having 

659 



GGO A PIONEER EXPEDITION. 

also been previously employed in the survey of the peaks and glaciers of 
the Alps, he was the better prepared to enter upon a life of active ser- 
vice in the snows and hummocks of Nova Zembla. He shines as the 
historian of the expedition, his descriptions of Arctic scenes and experi- 
ences being excelled only by those of Kane in vivid and graphic character. 

The pioneer expedition was to sail in June, 1S71, and return in Sep- 
tember of the same year. It did not aim to reach high latitudes, nor to 
make great discoveries. The attention of the commanders was directed 
to the temperature of the air and water, to the position and condition of 
the ice, and to all observable phenomena, as connected with the probable 
success of the expedition proposed for the next year. In order to reduce 
expenses, so far as possible, a light sailing vessel, the Isbjorn, was char- 
tered and manned at a trifling cost. This vessel was fifty-five feet long, 
seventeen feet broad, and had a draught of six feet, with a capacity of fifty 
tons. She was owned and commanded by the skipper, Kjelsen, and had 
as a crew a harpooner, four sailors, a carpenter, and a cook — ail of whom 
were Norwegians. 

The voyage of the Isbjorn, though without thrilling incident, or in- 
dependent geographical results of importance, formed the foundation of 
several important inferences bearing upon the propriety of another and 
more pretentious voyage. The following are the most important of the 
conclusions reached : 

1. The Nova Zembla sea was not filled with impenetrable ice, like 
that part of the ocean contiguous to Greenland; on the contrary, obser- 
vation and report showed it to be open every year, jm'obably up to 7S 
north latitude, and connected with the Sea of Kara, which was also 
thought to be unusually free from ice. 

3. The time most favorable for navigation in this sea falls at the end 
of August, and lasts during the month of September — this period being 
considered as embracing the minimum of ice. 

3. The Nova Zembla sea was found to be shallow — geologically, 
a connection with, and a continuation of, the great plains of Siberia. In 
its extreme north its depth was only 100 fathoms. 

4. The expeditions of the past and present centuries, which at- 



THE TEGETTHOFF. 661 

tempted to penetrate by the northwest coast of Nova Zembla, failed be- 
cause they were upon the place of obseiwation before the time, and also, 
because they lacked steam. 

5. How far the Gulf Stream had any share or influence in the fa- 
vorable condition for the navigation of the Eastern Polar Sea, could 
not yet be positively determined, but the state of the ice, the observations 
upon its temperature and color, and the character of the observed animal 
life, seemed to testify in favor of the action of this current in those 
regions. 

These conclusions seemed to justify the determination to push the 
proposed project of a prolonged voyage of discovery, and it was thus 
that the Austro-Hungarian expedition originated. 

It was the plan of those who had the expedition in hand to penetrate 
east and north during the latter half of August, when the north coast of 
the great island of Nova Zembla is free from ice. The places for win- 
tering were left undetermined; they were to be chosen according to cir- 
cumstances of need or progress. In case of the loss of the ship, the ex- 
pedition was to endeavor to reach the coast of Siberia by means of boats, 
and then to gain the interior by one of the gigantic water courses of 
Northern Asia. No connection with Europe was to be depended on. 
Payer well says: " The motives of an undertaking so long and labo- 
rious cannot be found in the mere love of distinction or adventure. The 
object must not be the admiration of men, but the extension of the do- 
main of knowledge. The grandeur of one's purpose alone can support 
him, for otherwise the dreary void of things without can only be an 
image of the void within." 

The ship chosen for this principal voyage was the Tegetthoff — a 
steamship of 220 tons burden, carrying an engine of 100-horse power. 
It was fitted with provisions and fuel for two years and a half, but was 
overloaded by about thirty tons, so that the available space was much 
taken up. It was, however, as Payer says, "Far more commodious 
than the miserable hole in which eight of us had been crowded together 
on our Greenland tour." On the 13th of June, 1872, the expedition set 
out to cross the North Sea, and reach the coast of Norway, where the 



662 ARCTIC SCENES. 

last repairs were to be made, and the last adieus exchanged with Euro- 
pean brethren. The crew numbered twenty-four, and embraced Ger- 
mans, Italians and Hungarians, though Italian was the language in 
which the orders were given. 

After a stop of some days on the Norway coast and the Loffoden 
Islands, the Tegetthoff was at last fairly on her way to her long abode 
among the icebergs of Nova Zembla. The vessel soon came upon 
scenes strange and unfamiliar to most of the crew on board the Tegett- 
lioff. As they came into the region of ice the temperature rapidlv 
lowered. Fogs arose in the distance from the leads in the ice-field, and 
snowstorms alternated with cloudless skies and genial sun. Far to the 
north was observed the " ice-blink," — a shining band of light in the 
horizon, — always a faithful monitor of solid ice, of whose radiating 
power it is a portrayal. There is said to be no more solemn sound than 
that made by the action upon the ice of the elements of thaw and frost, 
and no pictures 'more sad and ghostly than the procession of icebergs 
floating "like huge white biers toward the south." Great falls of thaw- 
water flowed down the sides of the icebergs, sometimes rending them 
with a noise as of thunder by their constant wearing. 

But when the sun came out, the fogs disappeared toward the horizon, 
and the whole scene was bathed in rosy and golden splendor, the ice- 
crystals flashing like diamonds in the flood of light. Occasionally a 
whale would rise out of the water, like a great black mountain, and then 
diving deep beneath the surface, make the ocean tumultuous with his 
awkward gambols. The icebergs presented some curious shapes. Some 
were chiseled as if by a trained sculptor into fantastic forms of Gothic 
architecture, with quaint little peaks and towers, and grotesque gables. 
Others represented mammoth structures supported by regular columns, 
apparently of solid glass. Rarely were the regular prisms, so common 
in the North Atlantic, observed in these Arctic Seas. Such were some 
of the sights which greeted our voyagers as they entered the Polar 
Ocean. 

They had sailed over one ice-hole, and now again a broad and lofty 
barrier loomed ud before them. They succeeded in forcing their way 



A SURPRISE. G63 

into it, but after using all steam of which their vessel was capable, thus 
found the Tegetthoff actually beset, and the floes crowding together, gave 
an unbroken field for miles around. On Aug. i the vessel was still 
beset, and there being a complete calm, no efforts to release her were 
availing. They were now in latitude 74 39/, longitude 53 °. At 
length, on the 2d, they broke through the ice which separated them 
from the open water around Nova Zembla, and penetrated about 20 
miles toward the coast. A belt of ice 105 miles broad lay behind them, 
while before them rose the mountainous coast of Nova Zembla. Sailing 
and steaming on along the coast of Nova Zembla toward the north, they 
came on the 9th of August to another ice-barrier in latitude about 75 ° 
30' north. In the neighborhood of the Pankratjew Islands, the crew 
of the Tegetthoff were surprised to descry a ship on the horizon, which 
they soon recognized as- their old friend, the Isbjorn. It was a matter of 
the greater astonishment that a sailing vessel should have followed a 
ship which, only with the aid of steam, and even thus with great diffi- 
culty, had been able to penetrate so far in the icy seas of the frigid zone. 
The object of their friends of the Isbjorn was to establish a depot of 
provisions at Cape Nassau, at whatever risk to themselves. The two 
ships remained together until the 20th of August, the iSth being celebra- 
ted as the birthday of the King and Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph 
I. On the 20th the two ships parted company, the Tegetthoff steaming 
away to the north, and the Isbjorn soon disappearing in the mist that 
arose from the more southern water. 

The Tegetthoff was now well toward the north of Nova Zembla, 
the navigable water was becoming narrower every day, and the ice 
seemed to increase in solidity, especially in the neighborhood of the 
coast. On the evening of this day, the 20th, a barrier of ice stopped all 
further progress. As usual, the ship was anchored to a floe, and awaited 
the parting of the ice. "Ominous," says Payer, "were the events of 
that day, for immediately after we had made the Tegetthoff fast to that 
floe, the ice closed in upon us from all sides, and we became prisoners in 
its grasp. No water was to be seen around us, and never again were we 
destined to see our vessel in water. From day to day we hoped for the 



664 THE FLOE CRACKS. 

hour of our deliverance. At first we expected it hourly, then daily, then 
from week to week; then at the seasons of the year and change of the 
weather, then in the changes of new years! But that hour never came, 
yet the light of hope which supports man in all his sufferings, and raises 
him above them all, never forsook us, amid all the depressing influences 
of expectations cherished only to be disappointed." 

September came on with its increasing cold; October opened with its 
really wintry weather, and yet no signs of release. The ship, as firmly 
fastened as with iron bands, drifted northward with the floe which 
formed its prison. Many signs indicated the insecurity of their position. 

A little way off fields of ice cracked and split asunder, and huge 
masses moved about them, speaking warning volumes of the terrible pos- 
sibilities of ice-pressure. Thus far nc harm had immediately threatened 
the Tegetthoff and her crew, but the 13th of October was destined to 
bring new and exciting experiences. To those among the crew at all 
inclined to be superstitious, the number "13" had a profound significance. 
The committee of the expedition had been chosen on Feb. 13; on the 
13th of January the keel of the Tegetthoff had been laid; she was 
launched on the 13th of April; on the 13th of June the expedition em- 
barked from Bremerhaven ; on the 13th of July from Tromsoe. After 
a voyage of thirteen days they had arrived in the ice; and now on the 
13th of October the temperature marked 16 below zero (Centigrade), 
and the ship and crew were threatened with most terrible danger. In 
the morning of that day as the men sat at breakfast, the floe to which 
the vessel was attached burst asunder directly below them. 

" Rushing on deck," says Payer, "we discovered that we were sur- 
rounded and squeezed by the ice; the after part of the ship was already 
nipped and pressed, and the rudder which was the first to encounter its 
assault, shook and groaned ; but as its great weight did not admit of its 
being shipped, we were content to lash it firmly. Noise and confusion 
reigned supreme, and step by step destruction drew nigh in the crushing 
together of the fields of ice. * * * * * About 1 1 130 in the fore- 
noon, according to our usual custom, a portion of the Bible was read on 
deck, and this day quite accidentally, the portion read was the history of 




665 



666 BUILDING A HOUSE. 

Joshua; but if in his day the sun showed any inclination to stand still it 
was more than could be said of the ice at this time." 

The long night and its fearful cold was before them, and they were 
drifting, they knew not whither. Daily — with slight abatements, it is 
true — but daily, for one hundred and thirty days they were destined to 
experience those terrible oncomings of the ice. They kept everything 
in readiness for retreat from the ship in case the worst came to the worst. 
Their sledges were loaded, their boats were manned, and their clothing 
and provisions were distributed. They slept in their wet, frozen gar- 
ments expecting to be called up at any time and driven forth on the ice. 
But whither should they go ? The sea about them was lifting and grind- 
ing far beyond the view. Great hummocks danced and whirled, over- 
turning at times with tremendous force, while chasms opened on every 
hand, threatening to swallow up any sledge, or boat, or person, venturing 
on the uncertain surface. It was fortunate that these first encounters 
with the ice occurred while it was yet light. Had these assaults sur- 
prised them amid the polar darkness, confusion and disorder would have 
taken the place of the calm preparations they were now able to make. 

The pressure meanwhile continuing, it was thought best to make 
some kind of a habitation upon a firmer floe to which they might betake 
themselves in an emergency. Armed and provided with lanterns they 
removed two boats, one hundred and fifty logs of wood, fifty planks, 
and a supply of coal, to the port side of the vessel, and there built their 
house of refuge. But even this hope might fail them. A storm might 
carry away the planks which formed its roof, fire might consume the 
combustible substance of its walls; and at any time a fissure might open 
from beneath, and swallow up the whole community. So days, weeks, 
and months passed by, and the first day of 1873 dawned upon the be- 
nighted party, if a day without sun, or light, or warmth, may be said to 
dawn. Every effort was made to keep up the usual festivities on Christ- 
mas and New Year. Wine and grog were distributed, games were 
played, and a box of gifts was apportioned by lot. On the 1st of Janu- 
ary, too, they allowed the dogs the long wished-for privilege of the 
cabin. "The poor animals," says Payer, "were so dazzled by looking at 



THE DOGS IN THE CABIN. 



667 



our lamps, that they almost took it for the sun itself; but by and by their 
attention was directed exclusively to the rich remains of our dinner, the 
sight of which appeared completely to satisfy their notions of the won- 
ders of the cabin. After behaving themselves with great propriety, they 
again quietly withdrew, all except 'Jubinal,' who appeared to be indig- 
nant at the deceitfulness of our conduct, inasmuch as we had allowed 
him to starve so long on dried horseflesh and on crushed bear's head, 




... w v - ^ 



TRANSPORTING WOOD FOR THE HOUSE. 



while we reveled in luxury. He accordingly made his way into Lieut. 
Brosch's cabin, where, discovering a mountain of macaroni, he immedi- 
ately attacked it, and warned us off from every attempt to rescue it, by 
growling fiercely till he had finished it. 'Sumbu,' however, with much 
•levity, suffered himself to be made drunk by the sailors with rum, arid 
everything which he had scraped together for weeks and buried in the 



668 AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERT. 

snow and so carefully watched, was stolen from him by other dogs in 
one night." 

The winter of 1872-3 slowly crept away, and the sun, by his reap- 
pearance, gave promise of summer. Summer came, but the months of 
May and June, in temperate climates the glad harbingers of growth and 
life, brought no relief to the waiting travelers. " Nichts als Eis" (noth- 
ing but ice), was the oft-repeated answer of those who eagerly scanned 
the horizon in every direction. The second summer of the voyage had 
now come and nearly gone. It had begun with promise of liberation, 
but the time of greatest heat had gone by, and no sign of the predicted 
release had come. The idea of discoveries had utterly passed out of the 
minds of the explorers, and yet discoveries beyond their utmost expecta- 
tions were awaiting them. 

Aug. 30 brought them in latitude nearly So°, a joyful surprise. "At 
midday," says Payer, "as we were leaning on the bulwarks of the ship 
and scanning the gliding mists, through which the rays of the sun broke 
ever and anon, a wall of mist, lifting itself up suddenly, revealed to us 
afar off in the northwest the outlines of bold rocks, which in a few min- 
utes seemed to grow into a radiant Alpine land. At first we all stood 
transfixed, and hardly believing what we saw. Then, carried away by 
the reality of our good fortune, we burst forth into shouts of joy — 'Land, 
land, land at last!' * * * For thousands of years this land had lain 
buried from the knowledge of men, and now its discovery had fallen into 
the lap of a small band, themselves almost lost to the world, who, far 
from their home, remembered the homage due to their sovereign, and 
gave to the newly-discovered territory the name, Kaiser Franz-Josefs 
land." 

The fall and winter of the present year were occupied in determining 
more fully the extent and configuration of the island or Arctic continent 
just found. This work was conducted chiefly by means of sledge-jour- 
neys to and over the rough surface of the country which they had digni- 
fied with the name of their Emperor. Space forbids to give more than 
a brief account of this exploration, though the dangers and adventures 
with which it was attended are equaled by those of few Arctic explorers. 



FALL OF A SLEDGE. 669 

One experience in the fissures of what was named Middendorf Glacier is 
especially worthy of note. 

The party after a brief halt were just setting out again, when the 
snow gave way beneath the sledge-runners, and driver, dogs, and vehicle, 
were precipitated into some unknown depth below. Payer first heard 
the confused shouting of the man, mingled with the barking and howl- 
ing of the dogs from the bottom of the crevasse, many feet below. " All 
this," says he, " was the impression of a moment, while I felt myself 
dragged backward by the rope. Staggering back, and seeing the dark 
abyss beneath me, I could not doubt that I should be precipitated into it 
the next instant. A wonderful providence arrested the fall of the sledge ; 
at a depth of about thirty feet it struck just between the sides of the 
crevasse, just as I was being dragged to the abyss by its weight. The 
sledge having jammed "itself in, I lay on my stomach close to the awful 
brink, the rope which attached me to the sledge tightly strained, and 
cutting deeply into the snow." 

By incredible tact and perseverance Payer at last freed himself from 
the sledge, and set about recovei'ing the store of lost provisions, the 
manuscripts, which could never be replaced, and above all, about the res- 
cue of the fallen comrade who was the " pride and gem of the party.'' 
Being the only one of the party accustomed to glaciers, Payer was of 
necessity almost alone in his exertions. Rushing back to the tent where 
most of the men had remained, he hurriedly explained what had hap- 
pened, and all hastened to the spot of the disaster, leaving the tent and 
stores unwatched. They found their poor comrade nearly dead from the 
cold, but sufficiently conscious to be pulled to the top of the ice-clifF over 
which he had fallen. The dogs were found uninjured and quietly sleep- 
ing near him, but celebrated their release by joyful demonstrations. " It 
was a noble proof," continues Payer, "how duty and discipline assert 
themselves even in such situations, that the first word of the sailor saved 
from being frozen to death, was not a complaint, but thanks, accompanied 
with a request that I would pardon him if he, in oixler to save himself 
from being frozen, had ventured to drink a portion of the rum which 
had fallen down in its case with the sledee to his ledge of snow." 








670 



FALL OF A SLEDGE. 



A NECESSART CONCLUSION. G71 

Franz Josef's Land was found to be almost as large as Spitzbergen, 
and to consist of two main masses — Wilczek Land on the east, and 
Zichy Land on the west — between -which runs a broad stretch of sea, of 
ice, called Austria Sound. At the time of this exploration the sound was 
covered with ice for the most part not more than a year in growth, 
crossed in many places by fissures, and piled up with huge hummocks. 
The fact that here many icebergs were seen, which had not been the case 
in the Nova Zembla seas, warranted the supposition that they floated 
away from the ice-packs in a northerly direction. The map made by the 
present expedition was designed and constructed from fifteen observa- 
tions of latitude, from drawings made on the spot, and from a system of 
triangulation planned and perfected by Weyprecht, the commander-in- 
chief of the expedition. In the northernmost regions surveyed, the re- 
sults made no pretensions to complete exactness. Though the discoveries 
made were likely never to become important to the material interests of 
mankind, the land and its parts were named after the chief patrons of the 
expedition as the most fitting way in which the gratitude of the party 
could be shown. 

The experience of two winters in the ice had forced the party to the 
conclusion that the liberation of the TegetthofF was too remote for them 
to hope to save themselves by navigating the path over which they had 
come by its aid. Her abandonment therefore was universally agreed on, 
and the 20th of May, the very day on which, in 1854, Kane had left the 
Advance on the coast of Greenland, was chosen for the first steps of 
their present enterprise. The day was hailed with joy by all, for while 
the coming days were to be darkened with much danger and many hard- 
ships, even these were preferable to the life of monotony and inaction to 
which they had been reduced on board the TegetthofF. It was, however, 
only with the deepest emotion that they could part with the spot which 
had been their home so long. Their stock of instruments, which had 
done them such good service, together with the little museum, which all 
had taken so much pride in enlarging, had to be abandoned, as the jour- 
ney southward to the open sea could only be made by relieving the men 
and dogs of everything except absolute essentials. The pictures of 



672 A JOYFUL DAT. 

friends and acquaintances were hung up on the frozen walls of the land 
for the thought of their perishing with the inevitable destruction of the 
ship, was unbearable. 

Boats, sledges, everything that could be taken, were at last removed, 
and the march begun. For the first few days the burdens had to be 
dragged over hummocks and through fissures, without even the variety 
of water upon which to launch the boats. In a short time, however, 
narrow leads appeared, produced by the advancing summer and a fortu- 
nate combination of other circumstances, into which the boats were placed, 
and a sort of doubtful navigation was begun. But these leads were 
limited, and great masses of ice must be continually thrust out of the 
way. Moreover, a south wind arose which tended to destroy what prog- 
ress they had been able to make, so that after a lapse of nearly two 
months of indescribable efforts, the distance between them and the ship 
was not more than nine English 7niles. Another month, however, 
gave promise of better things. The leads became of greater length; the 
swell of the ocean became perceptibly greater; and the thickness and 
extent of the ice was evidently rapidly diminishing. It was a joyful day 
for our brave explorers when, on the 15th of August, in latitude 77 ° 49', 
they bade farewell to the frozen ocean, and launched their barks on the 
more genial waters of the Nova Zembla Sea. There being no room for 
the dogs in the boats, nor other possible means of conveying them, it 
was thought humane to kill them, which was done to the infinite sorrow 
of the entire party. 

The problem of their rescue was now simple compared with the diffi- 
culties which they had just successfully combated. They shaped their 
course by Barentz Islands, Cape Nassau, where the store of provisions 
had been deposited, and the Admhalty Peninsula, hoping that they 
might in this latitude look for whalers or other fishermen. It was not, 
however, until they had reached and passed the Admiralty Peninsula, on 
the west coast of Nova Zembla, and were nearing Ganse Land toward 
its southern border, that the welcome sight of a ship greeted their long- 
ing eyes. Here they met on the 24th of August two Russian vessels 
cruising- for fish and reindeer on the shores of Nova Zembla. The ser- 



EMBARK FOR HAMBURG- 



673 



vices of one of these vessels were readily engaged, and the long-suffering 
crew were soon on their way to Norway, after a ninety-six days' experi- 
ence in the open air. On the 3d of September they landed at Vardo, on 
the Norwegian coast, and on the 5th embarked for Hamburg, -where 
they arrived amid the congratulations and applause of thousands of 
friends and countrymen. 




CHAPTER LXXIII. 

ENGLISH EXPEDITION UNDER NARES THE ALERT AND DISCOVERY 

BORING THROUGH THE PACK THE ELYSIUM OF THE ARCTIC 

REGIONS — MAXIM OF ROSS THE DISCOVERY FINDS WINTER 

QUARTERS THE SEA OF ANCIENT ICE WINTER AMUSEMENTS 

DEATH FROM EXPOSURE EXEMPTION OF OFFICERS FROM DIS- 
EASE MARKHAM'S SLEDGE-JOURNEY REACHES THE HIGHEST 

POINT EVER ATTAINED PAL^EOCRYSTIC ICE NARES CONCLUDES 

TO RETURN TO ENGLAND EPITAPH ON THE GRAVE OF HALL. 

One of the recurring intervals of indifference or hopelessness in rela- 
tion to Arctic exploration had succeeded the great activity of the Frank- 
lin search voyages in England. The field was left to German, Austrian, 
Swedish and American navigators, until England was in danger of los- 
ing the prestige acquired in that line by many generations of brave mar- 
iners, and at great expense of life, energy, and money. Other nations, 
stepping in at the eleventh hour, had actually won the laurels of more 
northern land discovery, than had been made by the representatives of 
the nation whose previous efforts had largely contributed to make such 
success practicable. A generous and worthy rivalry now seized the 
Royal Geographical Society, under the inspiration of Admiral Sherard 
Osborn, himself an Arctic navigator, as will be remembered; Sir Rod- 
erick I. Murchison, the eminent geologist and geographer, and president 
of the society, who, however, died in 1S71, before definite action had 
been taken; Lady Franklin, whose interest in Arctic exploration never 
flagged up to her last illness and death in 1S75, and other influential 
persons. 

The government gave its sanction to the movement, and an expedi- 
tion was duly organized and commissioned. It consisted of two vessels, 

the Alert and Discovery. The former was a steam sloop of the royal 

674 



THE ELTSIUM OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 675 

navy, of 751 tons burden, and 100 horse power; and was now specially 
strengthened for her new destiny. The Discovery had been a steam 
whaler, and was purchased by the government of her Dundee owners, 
and fitted out for this voyage. The commander of tbe expedition and of 
the Alert was Captain, afterward Sir George Nares, a man of con- 
siderable experience, and who had been in the Arctic service. As chief 
assistant he had Commander A. H. Markham, who also had seen Arctic 
life, and Capt. H. F. Stephenson, as immediate commander of the 
Discovery. The officers and men of both vessels numbered 120, many 
of "whom had seen Arctic service as whalers or explorers. The Valorous 
accompanied them to Disco Island as store-ship, and having there trans- 
ferred her surplus stores to the other two, she left for home July 16, 
1S75. On the voyage to Disco they had encountered much loose ice off 
Cape Farewell, and many heavy gales, in which they lost two of their 
whale boats. 

Leaving Disco on the 23d, the Alert and Discovery steamed across 
Baffin's Bay to the northwest, instead of hugging the Greenland shore 
through Melville Bay, and struck the great central ice-pack July 24. 
In thirty-four hours they had succeeded in boring through the pack into 
open water — -a feat never before performed, and which the Greenland- 
masters declared "would ne'er be credited at Peterhead." It helped to 
prove the superiority of steam-power for Arctic navigation. Reaching 
the vicinity of Cape York many icebergs were seen aground and closely 
crowded, indicating that they would perhaps not have fared so well had 
thev taken the old route through Melville Bay, and around that cape. 
Pushing north they soon arrived at Carey Islands, where they landed, 
and established a depot of supplies, depositing the usual record under a 
cairn. Passing Littleton Island, where they left a record, and Port 
Foulke, which Nares styles " The Elysium of the Arctic regions," they 
made for Cape Sabine, the easternmost promontory of the Ellesmere 
Land of Inglefield, in 7S 45'. Off that point, July 30, they saw the 
ice in great quantities, but in the middle of Smith's Sound it con- 
sisted of detached floes, five or six feet thick, with occasionally an old 
floe of twice that thickness, but much decayed, and presenting no serious 



G76 LADY FRANKLIN SOUND. 

obstacle to their onward progress. At length, however, their way was 
blocked by impenetrable ice, and they were detained three days in Payer 
Harbor, awaiting a practicable opening. Several fruitless attempts were 
made to bore through, but at last success crowned their efforts, and on 
the 4th of August they forced their way through twenty miles of Haves 
Sound. Soon, however, they got entangled in the pack, making but 
little headway, and finally were completely beset, barely escaping col- 
lision with a huge iceberg, and finding it necessary to unship their rud- 
ders. With great labor, and amid many dangers for three weeks longer 

in Kennedy Channel, having constant occasion to apply the advice of Sir 

_ a 

John Ross — "Never to lose sight of the two words caution and patience" — 

they reached CajDe Lieber, Hayes' limit of i860, on the 24th of August, 

and entered Lady Franklin Sound. 

Here in the shelter of an island was found a good harbor, perfectly 
suitable for winter quarters; and to enhance their good fortune, they saw 
on the next morning a herd of nine musk-oxen peacefully cropping the 
fresh and short-lived Arctic vegetation, all of which were killed, form- 
ing a very seasonable addition to their stores, nothwithstanding the flavor 
"was so very musk." Before the 10th of October they- had shot thirty- 
two of them, and had at one time over 3,000 pounds of their frozen flesh 
hanging up. The Discovery was left here, remaining frozen in for 101^ 
months. Their first care was to take ashore and deposit provisions for 
six months to guard against the contingency of disaster to the ship by 
fire or otherwise during her detention. Snow-walls were then con- 
structed around her, after the now well-known type, but heavier than 
usual, being made fifteen to twenty feet thick. These precautions, with 
the ordinary provisions for heat, kept the temperature of the lower deck 
at 4S to 56°, throughout the winter. The period of darkness, that is 
absence of sunlight, set in on the 10th of October, and lasted 135 days. 

Leaving Stephenson and his men busy with their preparations for 
winter, Nares pushed on in the Alert, and on the 31st of August reached 
latitude S2 24', in Robeson Channel — the highest point ever attained 
by ship, and only 21 ' short of Parry's sledge limit, 82 ° 45' north of 
Spitsbergen. In this channel the sea ice approached the land ice so close 



AROUND CAPE JOSEPH HENR2~. 677 

as to leave but a narrow water way, and off Cape Sheridan they closed 
together, completely locking the northern entrance, or exit into the Polar 
Sea. Along the coast a jagged parapet of ice fringed the shelving 
ledges, rising to an average height of about twenty feet, interrupted at 
intervals by ravines. Having rounded the northeast point of Grant 
Land, he found himself where Hayes had been so anxious to reach, but 
instead of the Open Polar Sea of that navigator he found the " Sea of 
Ancient Ice," impenetrable and forbidding. The ice was of unusual age 
and thickness; for instead of the five or six feet of the common floe, and 
the ten or twelve of the old floes hitherto encountered, it presented a 
front of fifteen or more feet above water, and a total of eighty to one 
hundred and twenty feet — resembling a connected chain of low icebergs 
rather than the floes or packs of more southern latitudes. In the shelter 
of such ice, where the submerged portion, extending to the land, left a 
sufficient water way for the ship, Nares found safe though not inviting 
winter quarters; and here they were soon frozen in by the newly formed 
shore ice. 

While most of the ship's company were briefly engaged in the usual 
labors for securing the safety of the ship and stores, Lieut. P. Aldrich, 
accompanied by Adam Ayles, set out Sept. 21, with two dog-sledges — 
dogs and sledges for the expedition had been secured at Disco — under 
orders to pioneer a route round Cape Joseph Henry, on the north side of 
Grant Land, for a larger party which was to follow. Four days later, 
Commander Markham, with Lieuts. A. A. C. Parr and W. H. May, 
started with three sledges to establish a depot of provisions as far to the 
northwestward as would be found practicable. On the 27th Aldrich and 
Ayles, from a mountain top 2000 feet high, in latitude 82 ° 48% descried 
the wide-extending land to the northwestward as far as 83 ° 7', with 
lofty mountains to the south. They returned to the Alert on the 5th of 
October, after an absence of fourteen days. A week later they entered 
on the Arctic night, the sun having disappeared below the horizon; and 
on the 14th Markham returned after a trip of nineteen days, having 
established the depot at 82 44', and tracing the coast two miles farther 
to what might be regarded as the exact latitude reached by Parry, else- 



678 ROTAL ARCTIC THEATER. 

where, nearly half a century before. Markham's party comprised 
twenty-one men and three officers, of whom seven men and one officer 
returned badly frost-bitten, three so severely as to require amputation, 
the thermometer ranging through the trip from 15 ° to 22 ° below zero. 
Meanwhile, from the 2d to the 12th, Lieut. Rawson had made an un- 
successful attempt to open communication with Capt. Stephenson in Lady 
Franklin Sound. The ice was found impassable within nine miles of the 
ship, being rotten and unsafe in the channel, and. piled up thirty feet high 
on the shore, while the deep snowdrifts in the ravines made the overland 
route equally impracticable. 

The usual efforts to amuse and instruct the ship's company were 
inaugurated under the auspices of the commander, who says that of fifty- 
five men who composed the crew of the Alert, only two were found who 
could not read. Besides the school for instruction there were lectures, 
readings, concerts, and theatrical representations, Thursday of each 
week being devoted to these entertainments. The first theatrical per- 
formance was given on the 18th of November, and was thus formally 
announced: " The Royal Arctic Theatre will be opened on Thursday 
next, the iSth inst., by the powerful Dramatic Company of the Hyper- 
boreans, under the distinguished patronage of Capt. Nares, the members 
of the Arctic Exploring Expedition, and all the nobility and gentry of 
the neighborhood." On the Discovery similar entertainments were 
given, its theater being opened Dec. 1, and the plays being rendered al- 
ternately by officers and men. Each vessel had a small printing press 
which was used for issuing programmes and bills of fare on occasions of 
great dinners. On the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, Nov. 5> they 
had a bonfire on the ice, and burnt Guy Fawkes in the approved style. 
Christmas was thus observed: "First of all, in the morning we have 
Christmas waits in the usual manner. A sergeant of marines, the chief 
boatswain's mate, and three others, went around the ship singing Christ- 
mas carols suited to the occasion, and made a special stay outside the cap- 
tain's cabin. On the lower deck in the forenoon there were prayers, and 
after that captain and officers visited the mess in the lower deck, tasted 
the pudding, inspected the decorations which had been made, and so on. 



SUCCESSFUL HUNTING. 679 

Then the boxes of presents by friends in England were brought out, 
the name of him for whom it was intended having been already fixed to 
each box, and the presents were then distributed by the captain. Ring- 
ing cheers, which sounded strange enough in that lone place, were given 
for the donors, some of fchem very dear indeed to the men who were so 
far away from their homes. Cheers were also given for the captain, and 
for absent comrades on the Alert. A choir was then formed, and " The 
Roast Beef of Old England " had its virtues praised again. The men 
had their dinner at 12 o'clock, and the officers dined together at 5. 

An observatory had been erected on Discovery Bay; and careful 
notes of the changes of temperature were kept on both ships. One day 
earty in March, the thermometer on the Alert showed 73 7', and on 
the Discovery 72 ° 30' below zero; while on the former a mean tempera- 
ture of 66° 29/ for five days and nine hours, and on the latter, of 5S 
17' for seven consecutive days, was reached. At one time the variation 
ranged 60 ° in a few hours. In February the mercury was frozen for 
fifteen days in succession; and again, later in the season, for about the 
same length of time. Notwithstanding the cold, which was not only a 
direct hardship, but also often rendered their breech-loading guns tem- 
porarily useless, the hunting parties were quite successful in both camps. 
Those of the Alert secured six musk-oxen, twenty hares, seventy geese, 
twenty-six ducks, ten ptarmigans, and three foxes, while the men of the 
Discovery had still better success in musk-oxen and hares, and also a 
piece of special good fortune in killing seven seals. They had, moreover, 
brought from England fish, beef, and mutton, which they hung up on 
the masts, "where they were soon frozen hard, and perfectly preserved. 
They had also brought some sheep, which they killed from time to time. 
" The sun re-appeared on the last day of February From November 
till February, with the exception of the starlight and occasional moon- 
light, we had been in darkness," says the chaplain, "not by any means 
dense, but sufficiently murky to excuse one for passing by a friend with- 
out knowing him." And now the time for sledge-exploration was near 
at hand; and it became important to establish an understanding between 
the two ships, so as to secure concert of action. Accordingly, on the 12th 



6S0 BEAUMONT'S JOURNEY. 

of March, 1S76, sub-lieutenant Egerton and Lieut. Rawson, accom- 
panied by Christian Petersen, interpreter, were dispatched to attempt 
once more to open communication with Capt. Stephenson. Four days 
later they returned to. the Alert, Petersen having completely broken 
down. His hands were paralyzed, and his feet so badly frozen as to re- 
quire amputation, which, however, did not save him, as, despite all the 
care and attention of Dr. Colan, the ship's surgeon, he died some three 
months later. Egerton and Rawson, accompanied by two seamen, re- 
sumed the attempt, and were successful; and communication as well as 
co-operation between the sledge-parties of both vessels were established. 
Lieut. Beaumont of the Discovery, in command of eight men, crossed 
Robeson Channel with great difficulty over the brok&n and moving ice, 
and explored the Greenland coast to latitude S2 iS'. Scurvy broke out 
among his men, and two died before reaching Polaris Bay. Beaumont 
pushed on to his limit, but four others succumbed soon after turning their 
faces to the ships. The three that were not disabled hauled the sick 
with the provisions on the single sledge, always making the journey 
twice, and often thrice, over the rough, hummocky ice. "The gallant 
band," says Nares, "struggled manfully onward, thankful if they made 
one mile a day, but never losing heart." While they were thus labor- 
ing on in the heart of a frozen desert, a search party consisting of Lieut. 
Rawson, Dr. Coppinger and Hans, the Esquimaux, was dispatched; 
and had the good fortune to fall in with them when the remaining as- 
sistants of Beaumont were on the point of also succumbing to the dis- 
ease. The three officers had now for a time a monopoly of the hauling 
business, but no more lives were lost, and the party reached their depot 
of provisions on Polaris Bay, where the well succeeded in shooting 
game, and the invalids soon recruited. Including a lengthened stay at 
that point, they were absent from the ship one hundred and thirty-two 
days. Lieut. Archer surveyed Lady Franklin Sound, and found its 
head, sixty-five miles inland, surrounded by lofty mountains and glacier- 
filled valleys. Lieut. Fulford and Dr. Coppinger explored Petermann 
Fiord or Bay, which also was found to terminate in a steep glacier-front. 
Some good coal was found on Discovery Bay. These local trips and 



EXEMPTION OF OFFICERS FROM DISEASE. 



681 



Beaumont's Greenland Division of Arctic exploration constituted the 
Discovery's quota; the Alert's men took charge of the Western and 
Northern Divisions. Lieut. Aldrich, with seven men, explored two hun- 
dred and twenty miles to the west side of Grant Land, finding nothing 
in sight beyond but the wide-expanded sea. On his return, when met 
by a relief party under Lieut. May, only one of his men was in a condi- 
tion to assist in hauling four disabled comrades, while the other two feebly 
struggled along by the side of the sledge. 




DISCOVEKY BAY. 



It was noticeable that the officers in all these sledge-journeys escaped 
the scurvy, while nearly all the men were attacked. Capt. Nares was 
severely criticised, on the return of the expedition to England, for 
alleged neglect of sanitary precautions, in failing to provide liberal 
supplies of anti-scorbutic remedies on these trips; but it was learned that 
the same difference in health between officers and men, was manifest on 
the vessels. Men who had not been detailed for any of these expe- 



682 MARKHAM'S SLEDGE-JOURNET. 

ditions, but had all along been within reach of hygienic, medical, and 
anti-scorbutic treatment, were also attacked, there being no less than 
thirty-six cases at one time on the Alert. It was therefore probably due 
to the generally superior physical condition and the greater self-helpful- 
ness of the officers, that the disparity was due ; and the same phenomenon 
may be noticed in any epidemic. The better-kept men, intellectually, 
morally and physically, always show the smallest percentage of deaths. 

MARKHAM'S SLEDGE-JOURNEY. 

The great exploring feat of the expedition was performed by 
Commander Markham's party. Accompanied by Lieut. Parr, Dr. Moss, 
and Mr. White, one of the engineers, and twenty-eight men, he set out 
for the north on the 3d of April. The equipment consisted of four 
eight-men sledges — so called because each was manned by seven men 
and an officer, two boats for possible navigation in northern waters; four 
tents, eleven feet long, and about seven wide; and between 1700 and 1S00 
pounds of provisions to each sledge. The sledges were named Marco 
Polo, Victoria, Bulldog, and Alexandra. The costume of the men was 
composed of a thick woolen, blanket-like material, under a suit of duck 
to repel external moisture. On their feet, besides thick woolen hose, 
were worn blanket-wrappers and moccasins; and all wore spectacles as a 
protection against snow-blindness. Each slept in a separate bag of the 
same heavy woolen material as the day-clothing, and the eight, in the 
compass of the eleven feet of tent, which again was of the same warm 
material. Breakfast was taken before quitting the bags, and consisted 
of a pannikin of cocoa, some pemmican and biscuit. After five hours' 
travel a lunch of biscuit, with four ounces of bacon and a pannikin of hot 
tea, was taken; and at the close of the day's journey, varying from ten to 
twelve hours, when the tents were pitched, and all, except the acting 
cooks, were snugly ensconced in their bags, a supper of pemmican and 
tea was served. With the pemmican was always mixed a certain pro- 
portion of preserved potatoes. 

For the first few days fair progress was made, though from the out- 
set the way was rough and difficult, and the temperature rather low for 



THE SEA OF ANCIENT ICE. 683 

comfort — on the 6th it was 35 ° below zero. On reaching the depot of 
provisions at Cape Joseph Henry, established before the close of the pre- 
vious season, the party was re-arranged. Fifteen men, with three 
sledges, and a total weight in provisions and supplies of 6079 pounds, 
accompanied Markham and Parr over the high, rough hummocks of the 
"Sea of Ancient Ice." On the 10th, " Distance made good," says Mark- 
ham, "one mile; distance marched, seven." On the 12th it was 1 J^ 
made good to nine traveled; the 17th, 15^ to nine; and on the iSth, one 
to ten, and taking ten hours to do it." "Course and distance made good, 
north, four miles; distance marched, thirteen miles," and similar entries 
mark the most favorable proportions. But often only a single sledge 
could be dragged over the hummocks at a time with their combined 
force, thus requiring five successive trips to cover the same piece of 
ground; and this was sometimes varied by two additional trips to carry 
forward a few disabled comrades. On the 1.9th it was deemed advi- 
sable to lighten the burden by leaving one of the boats behind — it was 
not likely they should need more than one for all the " Open Polar Sea " 
they would fall in with. ■ This weighed about Soo pounds, but two of 
the men were prostrated by the scurvy, and had to take its place. " Be- 
fore quitting the boat, an oar was lashed to its mast, and the mast 
stepped, yard hoisted, and decorated with some old clothes," to serve as 
a signal whereby to reach it on their return. 

With the hummocks recurring every hundred yards or so, varying 
only in height, and the intermediate spaces covered with drifted snow- 
ridges, and the temperature almost constantly below zero, their progress 
was necessarily slow — very slow, snail-like, and tortuous. "The jour- 
ney," says Nares, "was consequently an incessant battle to overcome 
ever-recurring obstacles, each hard- worn success stimulating them for the 
next struggle. A passage-way had always to be cut through the 
squeezed-up ice -with pickaxes, an extra one being carried for the pur- 
pose, and an incline picked out of the perpendicular side of the high 
floes, or roadway built up, before the sledges — generally one at a time — 
could be brought on. Instead of advancing with a steady walk, the 
usual means of progression, more than half of each day was expended 



684 THE HIGHEST LATITUDE EVER REACHED. 

by the whole part)' facing the sledge and pulling it forward a few feet 
at a time." On the last day of April they were compelled to halt in 
the presence of a new enemy, the fog, which endangered their becom- 
ing entangled in a labyrinth of hummocks. This weary work was con- 
tinued through the first third of May, with a constant increase in the 
number of the sick, when it was decided to leave them behind, while the 
stronger ones were to make a final push for the highest point attainable. 
A camp was established for the invalids, provisions and supplies on the 
1 1 th, and left in charge of the cooks. On the morning of the 1 2th, 
Markham and Parr, with such of the men as were still in a condition to 
venture forward, set out, encumbered only with a few instruments and 
the national colors. Markham thus relates the last advance: "We had 
some very severe walking, through which the labor of dragging a 
sledge would be interminable, and occasionally almost disappearing 
through cracks and fissures, until twenty minutes to noon, when a halt 
was called. The artificial horizon was then set up, and the flags and 
banners displayed, these fluttering out bravely before a southwest wind, 
which latter, however, was decidedly cold and unpleasant. At noon we 
obtained a good altitude, and proclaimed our latitude to be S3 20' 26" 
north, exactly three hundred and ninety-nine and one-half miles from 
the North Pole. On this being duly announced, three cheers were 
given, with one more for Capt. Nares; then the whole party in the ex- 
uberance of their spirits at having reached their turning-point, sang 'The 
Union Jack of Old England,' by the grand Palasocrystic sledging cho- 
rus, winding up like loyal subjects, with 'God Save the Queen.' " In 
the camp they celebrated the event with increased spirit, even the in- 
valids growing more cheerful in the prospect of a speedy return. Some 
extra refreshments, reserved for the occasion, were distributed, adding to 
the general exhilaration. The leaders, Mai'kham and Parr, though they 
had reached the highest point ever attained, were no more than half 
content at the meager result of so many hardships. But they were des- 
tined soon to find that the decision to return was the salvation of the 
party, as almost all the men were stricken down with scurvy before reach- 
ing Depot Point, near Cape Joseph Henry. By forced marches and in- 



THE POLE IMPRACTICABLE. 685 

domitable energy they succeeded in getting the men to camp on June 7; 
and while Markham watched and labored for their comfort, Parr set out 
for the Alert, thirty miles away. Equipped with only a walking-stick 
and a couple of light rations, he trudged off alone to hurry up a relief 
party, stimulated by the consciousness that on his exertions depended the 
life-chances of those he had left behind. Fortunately he proved equal 
to the emergency, and in twenty-four hours reached the ship. Before 
midnight of the 8th, Capt. Nares was on the way to Depot Point, at 
the head of a relieving party. Lieut. May, Dr. Moss, and a seaman, 
with a light dog-sledge, were sent forward as a lightly-equipped advance 
party, and reached the camp in fifty hours from Parr's departure. Short 
as had been the interval, one of the sick, George Porter, had died, and 
■was already buried in the snow ; but no other life was lost. Of the fif- 
teen men who left Depot Point two months before with Markham and 
Parr, only three were able to assist in dragging the sledges back; three 
others struggled along behind, often falling, and sometimes fainting; while 
nine had been utterly prostrated and had to be carried on the sledges in 
the tedious manner already described. They had reached seventy miles 
north of Grant Land over the Palseocrystic ice, as Nares called it, 

Capt. Nares concluded to return to England. The condition of his 
crews, much enfeebled by disease, and the results obtained being sub- 
stantially equal to any he was likely to secure by a prolonged stay, de- 
termined him to abandon all further attempts. While he could not 
doubt that another season's work would extend the area of land ex- 
plored on either side of Robeson Channel, he was firmly convinced that 
no advance to the north, sufficient to compensate for the exposure of his 
men and ships, was attainable — that in a word, "The Pole was impracti- 
cable." There can be no question that such is the fact in that direction, 
unless it will be found that some seasons are more favorable than the one 
of 1876. It is possible that the more extended meteorological observa- 
tions, now [1S82] being prosecuted in Arctic regions and elsewhere, may 
lead to the detection of regular cycles of temperature, with their periods 
of greatest and least cold, and thus enable Arctic explorers to choose the 
most favorable season for the coming attempt to traverse the remaining 



686 TRIBUTE TO HALL. 

four hundred miles to the Pole. But with the "Sea of Ancient Ice" as 
Nares found it, no amount of human energy or heroic daring could 
achieve the feat of reaching it. 

Among the acts performed by this expedition, one of international 
courtesy is worthy of mention. It was a pleasing and graceful act to 
the memory of a great navigator who has been undeservedly under- 
rated by some, because his methods were peculiar. These forget that 
each fresh advance is made possible only by the departure of each new 
pioneer from the beaten track of his predecessors. On the 13th of May, 
1S76, Capt. Stephenson, in the presence of twenty-four officers and men 
of Nares' expedition, erected at Hall's grave an appropriate brass tablet 
prepared for the purpose in England. 

And .later, in his report to Parliament, Nares bore testimony to the 
accuracy of Hall's observations, though with confessedly defective in- 
struments, in these words: "The coast line (west from Kennedy Chan- 
nel) was observed to be continuous for about thirty miles, forming a bay, 
bounded toward the west by the United States range of mountains, with 
Mounts Mary and Julia and Cape Joseph Henry, agreeing so well with 
Hall's description that it was impossible to mistake their identity. Their 
bearings, also, although differing upward of thirty degrees from those of 
the published chart, agreed precisely with his published report." 

Capt. Nares now concluded to return to England; and, encountering 
many difficulties from storm and ice, arrived home on the 27th of Octo- 
ber, 1S76, after an absence of sixteen months, with his ships uninjured, 
and with only the loss of life already mentioned. Notwithstanding 
some adverse criticism from stay-at-home navigators, closet theorists, and 
paper philosophers, the expedition was properly regarded as a great suc- 
cess, and its heroes were deservedly honored by their country with sub- 
stantial tokens of regard, as well as with the hearty plaudits of the 
people. 



CHAPTER LXXIV. 

sciiwatka expedition the eothen officers and crew in 

king William's land — confirmation of rae's testimony — 
grave of lieut. irving homage from america and great 

BRITAIN. 

The fate of Franklin's crew and ships has continued to interest in- 
quiring and sympathetic minds on both sides of the Atlantic, even up to 
the present. The public suspense regarding Franklin's individual de- 
cease had been relieved by M'Clintock in 1859; but there still remained 
the mystery of the ships, of the fate of their companies, and of the 
record of their achievements. Some idea of their general course could be 
gathered from the scanty records of Gore and Crozier, but this was unsat- 
isfactory and vague, and left a deep want — a demand for knowledge — 
unsupplied. The information gained by Hall on his second voyage con- 
firmed the hypothesis of Rae, that the most of the party had died by 
starva. on; though concerning the actual course of Franklin and the fate 
of his ships, Hall left the world no wiser than before. 

Early in the summer of 187S, Lieut. Schwatka, U. S. A., who had 
taken an active interest in the subject from boyhood, asked for leave of 
absence from his place of duty on the plains, came to New York and 
asked permission to organize a search party, for the purpose of discover- 
ing the supposed records of Franklin's last voyage. After listening to 
his proposition, Judge Daly, of the Geographical Society, gave him all 
the information in his possession concerning the probable whereabouts 
of the missing treasures; commending him also to Gen. Sherman and 
indorsing his application to be detailed to command the exploring party. 
The lieutenant also conferred with Messrs. Morrison & Brown, of South 
street, concerning the use of a whaling vessel for the transportation 

of the party to the scene of their labors. Their only available ship, the 

687 



688 THE EOTHEN. 

Eothen, was at sea, but upon her arrival in New York her owners 
offered her for the use of the expedition, and she was refitted in the best 
manner for the comfort of the party. 

Prior to his departure Lieut. Schwatka received instructions for his 
procedure as follows, from Mr. Morrison: " Upon your arrival at Re- 
pulse Bay you will prepare for your inland journey by building your 
sledges and taking such provisions as are necessary. As soon as suffi- 
cient snow is on the ground you will start from King William's Land 
and the Gulf of Boothia. Take daily observations, and whenever you 
discover any error in any of the charts you will correct the same, mark- 
ing thereon also any new discoveries you may be fortunate enough to 
make." He was further admonished to carefully preserve all records 
found, and keep them safely in his own possession or to intrust them to his 
Esquimaux interpreter. Finally, he was advised, even though his expe- 
dition proved a failure in its particular end, to make it a geographical 
success, as his facilities for doing so would be excellent. 

The Eothen sailed from New York on the 19th of June, 1S7S, being 
accompanied down the bay by several tugs containing the friends and 
relatives of the explorers. Her officers and crew were as follows : Cap- 
tain, Thomas F. Barry ; Jeremiah Bomepus, chief mate; James Piepper, 
second mate; James Kearney, boatswain; H. Omenheuser, cooper; 
Frederick Woern, blacksmith; Charles Budley, carpenter, and ten sea- 
men. The exploring party was composed of five persons: Lieut. 
Frederick Schwatka, commander; Col. W. H. Gilder, a New York cor- 
respondent; Joseph Ebierbing, Esquimaux guide and interpreter; Henry 
E. Klietchak, civil engineer, and Frank Mellers, assistant engineer. 

After leaving the investigating party at the scene of their adven- 
tures, the Eothen cruised about for whales a short time, and finally re- 
turned to New London. 

Schwatka and his comrades spent the winters of i87S-9and 1S79-80 
in investigating King William's Land> the supposed last resting place of 
most of -Franklin's men. In this work they were greatly assisted by the 
activity, intelligence and willingness, both of their native interpreter 
whom they had brought, and also of the Esquimaux of the neighbor- 



RAE'S TESTIMONY CONFIRMED. 



689 



hood which they were examining, in the summer of 18S0 many inter- 
esting relics of Franklin and his party were discovered. There were 
many pieces of wood, iron and other material, which by names marked 
upon them, or by other signs were proved to have belonged to one of 
the two ships. Many articles with private marks were discovered. The 
general testimony borne by Rae in 1S54 received ample confirmation, 
and many additional proofs of the fate of Franklin and his men were 




GRAVE OF LIEUT. IRVING. 



unearthed. Not only was the record of M'Clintock's discovery in 1S59 
found where he had deposited it, but the camp of Capt. Crozier, which 
had been found and occupied by his whole party was discovered, with 
many relics of interest. There were several cooking-stoves with their 
accompanying copper kettles, besides clothing, blankets, canvas, iron 
and brass instruments, and an open grave, where was discovered a quan- 
tity of blue cloth, part of which was wrapped around a body. 



690 HOMAGE FROM GREAT BRITAIN. 

Upon one of the stones at the foot of this grave a medal was found, 
which was thickly covered with grime, and so much the color of the 
clay stone on which it rested as nearly to escape detection. It proved to 
be a silver medal, two and a half inches in diameter, with a portrait of 
Geoi"ge IV., surrounded by the words: "Georgius IIII., D. G. Brittanni- 
arum Rex, 1820;" on the obverse, a laurel wreath surrounded by " Sec- 
ond Mathematical Prize, Royal Naval College;" these words inclos- 
ing the following inscription: " Awarded to John Irving, Midsummer, 
1S30." ' 

This place, then, was proved without a doubt to be the grave of 
Lieut. Irving, third officer of the Terror. The body, as well as all the 
skeletons found, was buried decently and the best tombstones which 
could be improvised were set up to mark the spots occupied by the Brit- 
ish dead. Every endeavor was used to discover the grave of Sir John 
Franklin, but without success. The search for the records confirmed the 
generally accepted theory, that those important documents, if any existed, 
had been irrecoverably lost or destroyed. 

On his return late in the summer of 1880 Schwatka received great 
homage from the American Government for his discoveries, and also 
from the English nation, for his delicate and humane service to the re- 
mains of the lost English subjects. This found voice in the expressions 
of many distinguished Englishmen, among them Capt. Snow, Sir Geo. 
Nares, Mr. Clements R. Markham, Sir Leopold M'Clintock, and others 
of Arctic fame. All agreed that Lieut. Schwatka had performed a val- 
uable service, and one whose performance by an American should call for 
the utmost gratitude from all Britain. 




CHAPTER LXXV. 

SWEDEN IN ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS NORDENSKIOLD NUMEROUS 

POLAR VOYAGES THE SOFIA IN KING'S BAY VOYAGE TO THE 

MOUTH OF THE OBI SAMOYED TENTS A PROBLEM IN NAVIGA- 
TION SOLVED NORDENSKIQLD'S PREPARATION HIS SLEDGE- 
JOURNEYS FUNDS PROVIDED THE VEGA PURCHASED. 

Though Sweden was late to take part in Arctic exploration, she has 
already reached an important position among the nations in the scale of 
results actually achieved.- For this she is largely indebted to the skill 
and enterprise of her adopted son, Adolf Eric Nordenskiold, a native of 
Helsingfors, the capital of Russian Finland. In consequence of a pa- 
triotic toast given by him at a supper party in iS55,at the age of twenty- 
three, he was deprived by Count Von Berg, the Russian governor- 
general, of a small official position he held in the museum of his native 
city. To this was added the insult of being declared incapable of hold- 
ing office in the university, where he had continued his studies since 
gradual ing with distinguished honor some years before, and where he 
had entered as a student in 1S49. He was an ardent nationalist, and a 
thorn in the side cf the paternal government of the representative of the 
czar. The ancient constitution had been guaranteed to Finland at the 
union with Russia, in 1809, but the guarantee has proved illusory, and 
the people are ruled almost as autocratically as in Russia. 

Nordenskiold left the country and took service with Sweden, becom- 
ing State mineralogist in 1858, and evincing from the first an active in- 
terest in Arctic exploration. The very next year, 1S59, he is found 
engaged in the expedition fitted out at the expense of Otto Torell; and 
from that year to 1S7S, he took part in no less than seven Arctic 
expeditions, in all of which he was either the leader, or held an impor- 
tant place. The expenses of these were defrayed in part by private sub- 

691 



692 



VARIOUS POLAR VOYAGES. 



scription, and in part by the Swedish government, Dr. Oscar Dickson, 
a wealthy merchant of Othenburg, being a liberal contributor to five of 
them. These expeditions were, to Spitzbergen in 1S61 and 1864; an 
attempt to reach the Pole, in 1868; to Greenland, in 1870; to Spitzbergen 
again, in 1873-3; to the Yenisei River in Siberia, in 1S75, and again in 
1876. Besides these there were two Arctic voyages, in 1868 and 1871, 
by Baron Von Otter, Swedish Councillor of State, and Minister of Ma- 
rine. By all these voyages the stock of information in relation to Spitz- 
bergen and Greenland and the adjoining seas, was largely increased ; and 
the intervals were devoted by 
Nordenskiold to studies and in- 
vestigations relating to what he 
had from his first arrival in 
Sweden made a life-work. 

In the polar voyage of 1S68, 
with the steamer Sofia, latitude 
S 1 ° 42 ' was reached, and the at- 
tempt to push farther north from 
the Seven Sisters of the Spitz- 
bergen group is thus described by 
Nordenskiold : " Northward lay 
vast masses of ice, as yet broken, 
it is true, but still so closely packed 
that not even a boat could pass 
forward, and we were therefore 
obliged to turn to the southwest, and seek for another opening in 
the ice ; but we found on the contrary, that the ice-limit stretched itself 
more and more to the south. On the way we had in several places met 
ice that was black with stones, gravel, and earth, which would seem to 
indicate the existence of land still farther north. Moreover, the ice itself 
had a very different appearance from that which we had met in these 
tracts at the end of August. It consisted now, not only of larger ice- 
fields, but also of huge ice-blocks. Already in the beginning of Sep- 
tember the surface of the ocean, after a somewhat heavy fall of snow, 




PROF. A. E. NORDENSKIOLD. 



VOTAGB TO THE OS/ AND TEN IS EL 693 

had shown itself between the ice-masses, covered with a coating of ice, 
which, however, was yet thin, and scarcely hindered the vessel's prog- 
ress. Now (toward the close of September) it was so thick that it 
was not without difficulty that a way could be forced through it." 

In a gale, a few days later, the ship was dashed against an iceberg, 
and began to leak so badly that on reaching Amsterdam Island on the 
4th of October, after eleven hours at the pumps, there -were two feet of 
water on the floor of the cabin. Fortunately the engine-room was pro- 
tected by water-tight bulkheads, and by great exertion the overflow was 
kept from reaching the fires. The leak was temporarily stopped, and 
they succeeded in reaching a more secure harbor in King's Bav, where 
at ebb-tide they were able to make more permanent repairs, and render 
the ship once more completely water-tight. It was found, however, that 
she was radically hurt, two of her ribs having been broken in the col- 
lision with the iceberg ; and it was deemed prudent to return home. The 
voyage showed that the ice of the Spitzbergen seas to the north was still 
as impracticable as Parry had found it forty years before. 

In the voyage of 1875 to the mouths of the Obi and Yenisei, Nor- 
denskiftld landed on the 8th of August on the peninsula of Yalnial, that 
is, in Samoyed, Land's End, separated from Beli Ostrov or White Island, 
by Malygin Sound. It had been reached in 1737 by Selifontov in a rein- 
deer-sledge, and was first mentioned in the narrative of Skuratov's jour- 
ney of the same year. A more southerly portion of it was traversed by 
Sujeff in his overland journey from Obdorsk to the Kara Sea in 1 77 1 - 
In the second voyage of the younger Krusenstern (Paul) in the Kara 
Sea in 1862, when the Yermak was abandoned on the coast of this great 
Samoyed peninsula far to the south, in latitude 69 ° 54', the commander 
and crew escaped to the land, destitute of everything, but had the 
good fortune to fall in with a Samoyed elder, the owner of 2,000 rein- 
deer, who took them to Obdorsk about 600 miles distant by the route 
taken. " We saw no inhabitants," says NordenskiQld, " but everywhere 
along the beach numerous tracks of men — some of them barefoot — rein- 
deer, dogs, and Samoyed sledges were visible. On the top of the strand- 
bank was found a place of sacrifice, consisting of forty-five bears' skulls 



694 SAM OT ED ENCAMPMENT. 

of various ages placed in a heap, a large number of reindeer skulls, the 
lower jaw of a walrus, etc. From most of the bears' skulls the canine 
teeth were broken out, and the lower jaw was frequently entirely want- 
ing. Some of the bones were overgrown with moss, and lay sunk in 
the earth; others had, as the adhering flesh showed, been placed there 
during the present year. In the middle of the heap of bones stood four 
erect pieces of wood. Two consisted of sticks a metre (3.28 feet) in 
length, with notches cut in them, serving to bear up the reindeer and 
bears' skulls, which were partly placed on the points of the sticks, or 
hung up by means of the notches, or spitted on the sticks by four-cor- 
nered holes cut in the skulls. The two others, which clearly were the 
proper idols of this place of sacrifice, consisted of driftwood roots, on 
which some carvings had been made, to distinguish the mouth, eyes, and 
nose. The parts of the pieces of wood intended to represent the eyes 
and mouth, had recently been besmeared with blood, and there still lay 
at the heap of bones the entrails of a newly-killed reindeer. Close be- 
side were found the remains of a fire-place, and of a midden, consisting 
of reindeer bones of various kinds, and the lower jaws of bears. Sail- 
ing on at some distance from the coast, and at one place passing between 
the shore and a long series of blocks of ground-ice, which had stranded 
along the coast in a depth of nine to sixteen metres (291^ to 52^ feet), 
during the night we passed a place where five Samoyed tents were 
pitched, in whose neighborhood a large number of reindeer pastured." 

The results of those several voyages are thus summed up by Norden- 
skiold : " The exploring expeditions, which, during the recent decades, 
have gone out from Sweden toward the north, have long ago acquired 
a truly national importance, through the lively interest that has been 
taken in them everywhere, beyond as well as within the fatherland; 
through the considerable sums of money that have been spent on them 
by the State, and above all by private pei'sons; through the practical 
school they have formed for more than thirty Swedish naturalists; 
through the important scientific and geographical results they have 
yielded; and through the material for scientific research, which by them 
has been collected for the Swedish Royal Museum, and which has made 




695 



696 NORDENSKIOLD'S PREPARATIONS. 

it, in respect of Arctic natural objects, the richest in the world. To this 
should be added discoveries and investigations which are, or promise in 
the future to become, of practical importance ; for example, the meteoro- 
logical and hydrographical work of the expeditions; their comprehensive 
inquiries regarding the seal and whale fisheries in the Polar seas; the 
pointing out of the previously unsuspected richness in fish of the coasts 
of Spitzbergen; the discoveries on Bear Island and Spitzbergen of con- 
siderable strata of cOal and phosphatic minerals, which are likely to be 
of great economic importance to neighboring countries; and, above all, 
the success of the two last expeditions in reaching the mouths of the 
large Siberian rivers — the Obi and Yenisei— navigable to the confines of 
China, whereby a problem in navigation, many centuries old, has at last 
been solved." 

These experiences and labors had prepared Nordenskiold for the 
great triumph he was to achieve a few years later, making his unpar- 
alleled success the hard-earned and well-deserved result of constant en- 
deavor, not a hap-hazard achievement or lucky hit. He fought a hard 
and long-continued series of battles with the ice king, ascertaining both 
his strong and his weak points. Six times he had met the enemy on land 
and sea, in Greenland and Spitzbergen, before encountering him off the 
north coast of Siberia. With the two voyages thitherward in 1875 and 
1876, Nordenskiold himself connects his seventh voyage in 1878, which 
was destined to make him one of the most famous navigators the world 
has ever seen. "After my return from the voyage of 1876," he says, " I 
came to the conclusion that on the ground of the experience thereby 
gained, and of the knowledge which, under the light of that experience, 
it was possible to obtain from old, especially from Russian explorations 
of the north coast of Asia, I was warranted in asserting that the open 
navigable water which two years in succession had carried me across the 
Kara Sea — formerly of so bad repute — to the mouth of the Yenisei, ex- 
tended in all probability as far as Behring's Straits, and that a circum- 
navigation of the Old World was thus within the bounds of possibility." 

The great navigator, Hudson, 270 years before, had satisfied himself 
that the Northeast Passage could never be found an available route for 



COMMERCIAL RESULTS. 697 

the commerce of the East. Yet the earlier efforts in that direction, under 
Willoughby and Chancellor, in 1S53-56, had opened commercial rela- 
tions with Russia, on the White Sea. It was therefore rightly judged 
by Nordenskiold that, besides the geographical and scientific interest 
attaching to navigation of the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific, no trifling commercial results would accrue from opening a way 
to the mouths of the great rivers of Siberia. He knew that a northeast 
route to "Cathay" was no longer a necessity to the trade of North Eu- 
rope, since the Suez Canal had become the highway of trade to the East, 
but he also recognized " that a practicable route of maritime intercourse 
between the gulfs and estuaries of the Obi and Yenisei and the Atlantic, 
on one hand, and the mouths of the Lena and the Pacific on the other, 
would open half a hemisphere to commerce, render possible the exporta- 
tion of agricultural and -forest products from immense regions of remark- 
able fertility, and thus furnish the inhabitants with the means of ex- 
changing the products of the soil with the industrial products of Europe 
and America, those conveniences so necessary to the comfort and wel- 
fare of the poorest denizens of more favored climes. It will always be 
difficult to introduce on a large scale, by any other route, the heavy ma- 
chinery, farm-engines, steamboats, etc., which constitute in our day the 
levers of a country's civilization." 

Besides the very practical and indispensable education which Nor- 
denskiold had thus acquired in the very best school, he had made him- 
self familiar with all that had been done by Russian navigators, explorers 
and surveyors along the north coast of Siberia, as well as with the re- 
sults attained and the experiences gained by the great navigators of every 
land. He had made sledge-journeys like Wrangell and Parry over the 
sea, and like Middendorf and Simpson over the land. He now felt that 
an exceptional opportunity had arisen for solving a great geographical 
problem, which for more than 300 years had occupied the attention and 
excited the competition of the foremost commercial nations and most 
daring navigators; and which, if viewed in the light of a circumnaviga- 
tion of the Eastern hemisphere, had been a subject of geographical inter- 
est for at least two thousand years. He had learned, as has been else- 



698 FUNDS CONTRIBUTED. 

where related in this volume, that Russian navigators, especially Pront- 
schischev, Laptew and Chelyuskin, with very inadequate resources, had 
come very near doubling the north point of Asia. In view of these facts, 
and his own experience of those regions in 1875 and 1876, he reasonably 
inferred that their failure was due rather to the imperfections of the ves- 
sels employed, than to any insurmountable obstacles presented by the ice, 
and that a strong, well-equipped steamer would be able to penetrate 
where they had failed. These Siberian coasters were too frail to encoun- 
ter the ice-pack, and being usually flat-bottomed, keelless, and held to- 
gether with willows, were equally unfit for the open sea. Nor had it 
escaped his notice that these Russian navigators had all strangely mis- 
calculated the most favorable season of the year for their efforts. In 
1740 an expedition under the mates Minin and SterlegofF, after two 
experiments in 1738 and 1739, had succeeded in reaching 75 15' north 
of the mouth of the Yenisei, when they returned on the 2d of Septem- 
ber, because of the supposed lateness of the season. 

Nordenksiold was in possession of some funds placed at his disposal 
for the purposes of exploration by the merchant A. SibiriakofF; but con- 
cluding to give the new expedition a greater scope and a more adequate 
outfit than these funds would warrant, he applied to the king to ascer- 
tain whether any aid might be expected from the public funds. " King 
Oscar, who already as crown prince had given a large contribution to 
the Tarell expedition of 1861, immediately received the proposition with 
special warmth." Eventually all the expenses, less, however, the con- 
tributions of the government — in pay, rations and supplies of three offi- 
cers, including a physician, and seventeen men detailed from the navy 
for service in the expedition; in equipment of the vessel at the national 
dock-yards at Karlskrona, not, however, to exceed $6,675, an< ^ * n nava l 
stores, including medicines, to the extent of $2,750 — were defrayed by 
the king, Dr. Dickson, and Mr. SibiriakofF. Dickson acted as banker, 
supplying ready cash as needed by the expedition. 

Besides his share of the general expense, SibiriakofF authorized Nor- 
denskiold to build a small steamer at his expense, to act as tender or 
store-ship to the exploring vessel as far as the mouth of the Lena, whence 



THE VEGA. 699 

she was to return with a cargo on his account; and to fit out two mer- 
chantmen, one a steamer and the other a sailing vessel, for the mouth of 
the Yenisei, which were to have cargoes both ways — European goods 
out, and Siberian grain back. 

The next important preliminary was the purchase of a vessel suitable 
for the voyage, and the choice fell upon the now historic Vega, which 
was thus described by the owners when offered for sale, a description 
to which the purchasers found no reason to take exception: "The 
steamer Vega was built at Bremerhaven in 1872-3, of the best oak, and 
under special inspection. She has twelve years' first-class register, and 
is of 357 tons gross, and 299 net, burden. She was built and used for 
whale fishing in the North Polar Sea, and strengthened in every way 
necessary, and commonly used for that purpose. Besides the usual tim- 
bering of oak, she has an ice-skin of greenheart, wherever the ice may 
be expected to come at her timbers. The dimensions are — Length over 
deck, 142.3 feet; keel, 123.3; breadth of beam, 27.5; and depth of hold, 
15 feet. The engine, of sixty horse-power, is on Wolff's plan, with 
excellent surface condensers, and requires about ten (twelve, it proved) 
cubic feet of coal per hour. The vessel is fully rigged as a barque, and 
has pitch-pine masts, iron wire rigging, and patent reefing topsails. 
She sails and manceuvers uncommonly well, and under sail alone attains 
a speed of nine to ten knots. During the trial trip the steamer made 
seven and a half knots, but six to seven knots per hotir may be consid- 
ered the speed under steam. Further, there are on the vessel a power- 
ful steam winch, a reserve rudder, and a reserve propeller." She was, 
however,, thoroughly overhauled, strengthened and refitted at the naval 
dock -yard. 




CHAPTER LXXVL 

FURNISHING AND MANNING OF THE VEGA THE LENA THE FRASER 

THE EXPRESS THE VEGA LEAVES GOTHENBURG FIRST 

SCIENTIFIC NOTES DWARFED TREES BARENTZ' HOUSE DISCOV- • 

ERED CHABAROVA SAMOYED LIFE THEIR DEALINGS WITH 

THE RUSSIANS. THE HOUSEHOLD GODS OF THE SAMOYEDS A 

• TADIBE. 

Every modern appliance had been secured. Scientific instruments for 
astronomical, physical, meteorological and geographical researches had 
been furnished by the Royal Academy of Sciences, and ample provisions 
made for the health and well-being of the ship's company, when the 
Vega, already described, left the harbor of Karlskrona on the 22d of 
June, 1878, on her memorable voyage. Her crew consisted of seventeen 
men of the Royal Navy, in charge of Lieuts. A. A. L. Palmer and E. C. 
Brusewitz, with Palander in command of the ship, as acting captain, and 
R. Nilsson as sailing-master. Lieuts. A. Hovgaard, of the Danish 
Navy, and C. Bove, of the Italian, who had obtained permission to ac- 
company the expedition, and serve, respectively, as superintendents of its 
meteorological and hydrographical work, were also on board. On the 
24th the Vega arrived at Copenhagen to ship provisions, and leaving on 
the 26th, put in at Gothenburg on the 27th to take aboard the scientific 
equipments and the gentlemen in charge of the several departments of 
that work — F. R. Kjellman, botanist; A.J. Stuxberg, zoologist; Lieut. 
O. Nordquist, of the Russian Guards, assistant zoologist and interpreter; 
and E. Almquist, lichenologist and medical officer of the expedition. 
Besides the Vega, with her company of thirty persons, of whom only 
four were seamen, the others being officers, engineers and scientists, 
the other three vessels already referred to, and which belonged to 

the merchant, SibiriakofF, were at the disposal of the commander of 

700 



THE VEGA LEAVES GOTHENBURG. 701 

the expedition, consisting of quite a little fleet, with the Vega as a sort 
of flag-ship. They were the steam-tender Lena, Christian Johannesen, 
captain; the steamer Fraser, Emil Nilsson, captain, and the sailing vessel, 
Express, under Captain Gunderson, with their respective corps of petty 
officers and crews, and S. J. SeribrienkofF as supercargo and representa- 
tive of the commercial interests of the owner. The two merchantmen 
were to meet the Vega and her tender at Chabarova on Yugor Schar or 
Vaigats Sound, lying between the island of that name and the Russian 
mainland, which was also the appointed rendezvous of the Lena, should 
she get separated from the Vega. The name Yugor is dei'ived from the 
old name' of the adjoining portion of the continent, Jugaria or Yugaria, 
the supposed intermediate seat of the Hungarians, between their depar- 
ture from their original Tartar home in Central Asia and their migra- 
tion south-ward to their- present location, toward the close of the ninth 
century of our era. 

On the 4th of July the Vega left Gothenburg, but encountering 
head-winds off the west coast of Norway, her progress was slow, and it 
w T as not until the 17th that she reached Tromsoe, where she was to take 
aboard the commander, and be joined by the Lena. Here they shipped 
three walrus-hunters, and such special Arctic equipments as reindeer 
skins, besides coal and water. On the 21st, about fifteen days later than 
intended, they set out on the regular voyage, making for Maossoe, a 
small island of the Northern Archipelago, where they were to have their 
last mail facilities. Here they were detained three days by adverse 
winds, instead of that many hours, as anticipated. They were hospita- 
bly entertained by the inhabitants, and Nordenskiold records as the chief 
advantage of the delay an effective remedy for scurvy. The cold, wet 
climate of the island makes the disease an endemic, which attacks all 
classes and conditions of the inhabitants ; but, " According to a statement 
made by a lady resident on the spot, very severe attacks are cured with- 
out fail, by cloud-berries preserved in rum. Several spoonfuls are given 
the patient daily, and a couple of quarts of the medicine is said to be 
sufficient for the complete cure of children severely attacked by the dis- 
ease." The cloud-berry is recognized as an efficient anti-scorbutic, and 



702 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 



perhaps may be thus more conveniently taken, but it owes nothing of its 
efficacy to the rum. 

Among- the first scientific notes of the expedition was one, which was 
due to their unexpected detention. It was observed that the sweet birch 
now grows only in favored spots so far north, while formerly the outer 
islands of the Archipelago were covered with a luxuriant growth, indica- 




THE CLOUD-BERRY. 



ting a gradual lowering of the general temperature. In Siberia it 
grows to about a degree further north, or 72 °, owing to the large volume 
of warm water borne by the great rivers every summer from the more 
genial southern climes through which they flow. The dwarf-birch is 
found six degrees farther, on the Ice Fiord in Spitzbergen, 78 7', but 
rises there only to a few inches above the ground. It is not, however, 



THE VEGA AND LENA SEPARATE. 



703 



any species of the birch that grows farthest to the north in Siberia, but a 
species of the hardy birch. 

Leaving Maossoe on the 35th, they steamed through Margeroe 
Sound, between the island of that name, the northern extremity of 
which is known as North Cape, and the mainland of Norway. The 
Vega and Lena parted company the first night in a fog, but each pro- 
ceeded on its way to Chabarova. The Vega was steered due east to 
within a few miles of the west coast of Nova Zembla, which they 
sighted on the 28th at 70 ° 33' by 51 ° 54', east, in about seventy-five 



% 







DWARFED TREES IN SIBERIA. 



hours from Maossoe. This was about midway between the Matotschin 
Schar, or Sound, and Yugor Schar. The Matotschin Sound divides 
Nova Zembla into two large islands of unequal size, the larger termina- 
ting at Barentz Land away to the north, in latitude 77 , the chief interest 
in which is connected with the fate of the early navigator, thus com- 
memorated. An account of his voyage has been given in its proper 
place ; but a fresh interest has been awakened by the recent discovery of 
the winter-house erected by him and his companions at Ice Haven, in 
Barentz Bay, on the east coast of Barentz Land, a few minutes north of 
latitude 76 °. On the 9th of September, 1871, Capt. Carlsen, a Norwe- 



704 DISCOVERT OF BARENTS HOUSE. 

gian, while circumnavigating Nova Zembla, discovered the house, 
with many interesting relics, in a remarkable state of preservation, 
and brought them home, whence they found their way, through the zeal 
of Barentz's countrymen to the Hague, where they are carefully pre- 
served. " No man," says Markham, " has entered the lonely dwelling 
where the famous discoverer sojourned during the long winter of 1596, 
for nearly three centuries. There stood the cooking pans over the fire- 
place, the old clock against the wall, the arms, the tools, the drinking- 
vessels, the instruments and the books that beguiled the weary hours of 
that long night 275 years before. Perhaps the most touching relic is 
the pair of small shoes. There was a little cabin-boy among the crew, 
who died, as Gerrit de Vere tells us, during the winter. This accounts 
for the shoes having been left behind. There was a flute, too, once 
played by that poor boy, which still gives out a few notes." 

The more southern of the twin islands of Nova Zembla is separated 
from Vaigats Island, to the south by the Kara Part, or passage to the 
Kara Sea. The part of this island which was now sighted by the Vega's 
company is known as Gooseland, because of the great numbers of geese 
aud swans which breed there. By the end of June, or early in July, the 
greater part of Gooseland is free of snow, and soon the Arctic flora dis- 
closes all its splendor for a few weeks. Giving themselves plenty of 
sea-room, but in the main following the trend of the land, they proceeded 
to the southeast, and farther on, east-southeast, to Vaigats Island, of which 
they had an excellent view, the air being exceptionally clear. From the 
Murman Sea to the west it seemed a level, grassy plain, but on approach- 
ing the Sound, low ridges were seen on the east side, which were re- 
garded by Nordenskiold as the last spurs of the great Ural Range. 
They found the merchantmen awaiting them when they arrived at Cha- 
barova on the 30th, and the Lena put in an appearance the next day. 
The Fraser and Express had left Vardoe Island off the northeast coast 
of Norway on the 13th, and had been in harbor since the 20th. 

The village of Chabarova was found to consist of a Samoyed en- 
campment and several cabins. These were occupied by nine Russian trad- 
ers from Pustosersk, about 400 miles distant, on the Petchora, with their 




BARENTZ' HOUSE. (EXTERIOR.) 




Nil fi 




BARENTZ' HOUSE. (INTERIOR.) 



705 



706 SAM OT ED LIFE. 

Samoyed servants. The tents were occupied by a Samoyed tribe, which 
make this its usual summer rendezvous, Vaigats Island affording good 
pasturage for reindeer. The Russians who form a fishing artel, or com- 
pany, quit Pustosersk after Easter and return about the middle of Octo- 
ber. Besides their equipments for fishing they bring such articles as are 
suited for trade with the Samoy eds ; and with barter, fishing, and the care 
of reindeer, of which the}' own several hundred, they usually make a 
profitable sojourn. The annual product of train oil alone ranges from 
1,200 to 1,500 pounds, of which their patron St. Nicholas receives a reg- 
ular tenth, being made an equal shareholder with the nine active mem- 
bers of the fishing guild. The summer occupations of the Samoyeds are 
similar, and in winter some retire to Pustosersk, while others proceed to 
Western Siberia, where corn is cheap. They own great herds of rein- 
deer, the chief man, or elder of the tribe, owning about a thousand. In- 
stead of dividing with St. Nicholas, although most of them have been 
baptized, and are nominally Christians, they reserve their pious offerings 
for the shrines, or groves, of their ancient idols, of which there still exist 
several sanctuaries on Vaigats Island. They have been known to make 
pilgrimages of a thousand miles to the more famous altars, or places of 
sacrifice, of the ancient religion. The Russians call the Samoyed idols 
bolvani, that is, rude images — -equivalent to the Samoyed name, sjadcei, 
from sia, physiognomy ; and exhibit toward them a sort of reverential 
respect. Indeed, each party is getting remarkably tolerant of the super- 
stitions of the others. The ikons or sacred images of the Russians and 
the bolvans of the Samoyeds hold about the same relation in the reli- 
gious systems of their respective worshipers. In domestic life there are 
two important differences between the two races, one in favor of each as 
factoi's of advancing civilization. " The Samoyed has one or more 
wives; even sisters may marry the same man. Marriage is entered upon 
without any solemnity. The wives are considered by the men as having 
equal rights with themselves, and are treated accordingly, which is very 
remarkable, as the Russians, like other Christians, consider the woman 
as in certain respects inferior to the man." Yet, a Samoyed 
wife-murderer has been known to plead in his own defense that 



THE SUPREME GOD OF THE SAMOTEDS. 



707 



"he had honestly paid for her, and could surely do as he liked with 
his own." 

This little horde temporarily sojourning at Chabarova is one of 
several similar bands into which the race divides up for convenience of 
seeking sustenance. The race now numbers only about 10,000 persons, 
and the scenes of their nomadic life range from the White Sea to the 
Obi and Yenisei, with their wide-spread tundras, extending from the 
forest limits in latitude 67 ° to the Polar Sea. The European portion is 
divided by the Petchora. With their herds of reindeer they wander 




®mmw!& 




SAMOYED SLEDGE. 

over the dreary wastes, or hunt in the boundless forests farther south. 
Their chief intercourse with the Russians is at the annual fairs of Ob- 
dorsk and Pustosersk; and as usual, the poor barbarians have learned the 
worst vices of the Europeans. They are much given to drunkenness, 
surpassing their Russian teachers — no easy task. The supreme o-od of 
the unconverted Samoyed is Yilibeambaertye, who resides in the air, and 
the hem of whose garment is the rainbow. He is also called Num, per- 
haps borrowed in some way through intercourse with other races from the 
Latin Numen, a divinity, or nomen^ a name, as it were "he of the unspeak- 



708 A TADIBE. 

able name." Certain it is that they regard him as far above the affairs of 
men, and their worship is mainly directed to the inferior gods repre- 
sented by the idols above referred to. Small idols they carry about with 
them, and the larger ones are kept in the sanctuaries of the race. In 
every train there is a sledge devoted to conveying the idols of the whole 
tribe. Among the household gods, or hahe, of a Samoyed, is one to 
watch over the health of his family, another over his marital relations, a 
third over his reindeer, and a fourth over his fishing nets and other im- 
plements of the chase for food on land or water. Whenever the ser- 
vices of any of these is required, he is taken from his repository, his 
mouth is smeared with blood, and a dish of fish or blood is set before him. 
When his aid is no longer required he is hustled away into his receptacle, 
without ceremony. In his relations with these he is his own priest; but 
with the invisible spirits which hover about in the air, and are hostile to 
man, he requires the services of a tadibe or sorceror. This worthy, when 
discharging the duties of his sacred office, wears peculiar robes, a red 
cloth veils his face and eyes, and a plate of polished metal shines upon 
his breast. He takes his drum or tambourine and walks around in a nar- 
row circle, beating the instrument, at first slowly and gently, then with 
increasing energy, while he chants a mystic hymn. Soon the frenzy 
grows, his eye gleams with a strange fire, he foams at the mouth, he 
pounds the tambourine with increasing and spasmodic violence, and the 
melody becomes a raving shriek, or savage howl. He now sits down and 
receives the message of the spirit, and announces it to the interested 
party. The tadibes do not seem to be conscious impostors ; they are in 
the main, self-deceived. Some, however, know how to practice the well- 
known feats of jugglery which have attracted so much attention nearer 
home. A smart tadibe will take his seat on a reindeer skin, or on a chair, 
with his hands and feet tied, and having the light lowered or removed, 
will proceed to summon spirit help to release him from his bonds. Un- 
expected noises announce the approach of the helping spirits — bears are 
heard to growl, snakes to hiss, and squirrels to whisk their tails. The 
spirits never seem able to do anything without these accompaniments — 
strange that they never utter any sounds but such as are easily within 



NATIVE PECULIARITIES. '709 

reach of man's imitative powers; announce nothing that is beyond his 
power of conjecture, or do anything that a professional juggler cannot 
do as well without their aid. A wild look, haggard face, faded or 
bloodshot eyes, a shy manner, an uncertain gait, and shattered nerves- 
resulting from these periodic excitements — mark the tadibes among their 
fellows. 

These barbarians honor the memory of their dead with sacrifices 
and ceremonies for three years after their decease, it being assumed that 
then at least the body has become entirely decomposed, and lost all 
past sensations. They place within or on the grave some of the most 
necessary implements used by the deceased. They have great respect 
for the sanctity of an oath, the most binding form being over the snout 
of a bear, and in the presence of a balvan, which they will make of 
snow or other convenient' material, at a moment's notice. Their appear- 
ance is not prepossessing — short stature, low forehead, small, oblique, flat 
nose, prominent jaws, thick lips, jet-black, horse-like hair, scant beard, 
yellowish complexion, with little symmetry, are not the accepted constit- 
uents of "the glass of fashion, and the mould of form." The male 
Samoyed is content if his reindeer suit keep him dry and warm ; and 
cares little for the cut of the garment, or its cleanliness. The younger 
females, however, evince considerable taste in dress. Their best usually 
consists of a long garment of reindeer skin, fitting closely at the waist, 
and hanging in graceful folds to the feet. The petticoat has two or 
three fringes of dogskin, differently colored, with strips of bright cloth 
between; and the boots are tastefully embroidered. But it is to the or- 
namentation of their hair that they devote the most marked attention. 
It is divided into two long braids which are interwoven with bright-col- 
ored ribbons, beads, buttons, and sundry metallic trinkets. These are 
artistically continued by straps, which are similarly ornamented and nearly 
reach the ground, giving the impression that the whole is a luxuriant 
growth of jet-black hair. 

Their manner of life has developed a piercing eye, a sharp ear, a 
steady hand and a fleet foot, but taste and smell are either defective or 
obtuse. They are good-natured, phlegmatic, and inclined to melancholy; 



710 SIBIRIAKOFF ISLAND— PORT DICKSON. 

grateful, hospitable, and kind; free from cruel or revengeful feelings; but 
are rather given to indolence and a sort of stoical indifference or apathy, 
which extends to even the final exit from this life. Like all oppressed 
and deceived people they are suspicious of their more crafty neighbors; 
and are opposed to all innovations, not unnaturally suspecting them of 
being disguised injuries. They have been crowded from their best pas- 
tures and within narrower limits from year to year; and while recog- 
nizing their inability to cope with the stronger, they have necessarily 
grown sullen and suspicious. Their language is of the agglutinative 
type, that is, the relations of words to each other in a sentence are ex- 
pressed by suffixes or terminations, glued on, as it were, at the end, prep- 
ositions, prefixes and inflections being unknown, and the plural marked 
by a distinctive suffix. It is, however, so far as yet known, not very 
closely related to the other branches of the so-called Attaic family. 

Nordenskiold's expedition quit their anchorage off Chabarova on the 
1st of August, and steamed through the sound, the Fraser towing the 
Express into the Kara Sea, which extends from Nova Zembla to Tairnur 
Peninsula, receiving the waters of the Kara, Obi, Taz, and Yenisei 
through the gulfs bearing the same names. It was found that "no nota- 
ble portion of the mass of fresh water which these great rivers pour into 
the Kara Sea, flows through Vaigats Sound into the Atlantic Ocean; 
and that during autumn this sea is quite available for navigation." On 
the 2d they met no ice; on the 3d only ice that was very open and 
rotten, presenting no obstacle, and in the evening arrived in sight of 
the large island of Beli Ostrov. The Lena had been dispatched ahead 
with three of the naturalists, under orders to pass through the sound 
which separates it from the peninsula of Yalmal. On the 6th, passing 
Sibiriakoff Island in the mouth of the Yenisei, they anchored in Port 
Dickson — 73 30' by Si° — on Dickson Island, where they were re- 
joined by the Lena on the 7th. The reader will recognize the names of 
patrons of the expedition in those assigned to those two islands in the 
estuary of the Yenisei. Port Dickson had been so named in Norden- 
skiold's first voyage thither in 1S75. 



CHAPTER LXXVII. 

THE VEGA CONTINUES HER VOYAGE TO THE NORTHEAST CAPE 

PALANDER KING OSCAR BAY THE OLD PROBLEM SOLVED — 

THE NORTHERNMOST POINT OF ASIA ANIMAL LIFE THE VEGA 

AND LENA PART COMPANY NEW ICE BEGINS TO FORM AROUND 

THE VEGA TCHUKTCHIS LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES REACH 

CAPE ONMAN. 

On the 9th of August the Fraser and Express left Port Dickson on 
their commercial errand higher up the Yenisei, and on the 10th the Vega 
and Lena, with which this work is more concerned, weighed anchor for the 
continuance of their exploring voyage to the northeast. On the morn- 
ing of the nth, while lying to in a fog, Nordenskiold and three natu- 
ralists landed on one of the numerous small islands in the estuary of the 
Pasina, where they found fifteen species of flowering plants — they had 
found seventeen on White Island — six species of birds, but no mammalia, 
not even the usual polar bear. "By afternoon the air had again cleared 
somewhat, so that we could sail on. A piece of ice was seen here and 
there; and at night the ice increased for a little to an unpleasant extent. 
Now, however, it did not occur in such quantity as to prove an obstacle 
to navigation in clear weather, or in known waters. On the 12th we 
still sailed through considerable fields of scattered drift-ice, consisting 
partly of old ice of large dimensions, partly of very rotten ice of the 
current year. It formed, however, no serious obstacle to our advance, 
and nearer the shore we probably would have had quite open water, but 
of course it was not advisable to go too near land in the fog and un- 
known waters." Later, it was found necessary to move the vessel to 
an ice-floe, and they were thus held through fog and ice until the 14th, 
when, upon a partial clearing-up of the atmosphere, they steamed for- 
ward toward Taimur Bay. All detentions and stoppages were of course 

711 



712 



NATURALIST'S NOTES. 



utilized by the busy naturalists of the expedition. Numerous small 
islands and groups had been discovered since leaving Port Dickson, and 
named, generally after some of the scientists and officers. The northern 
point of the West Taimur Peninsula was named Cape P aland er. But 
they had not gone far under steam on 
the 14th, when the fog again compelled 
them to put into port. Fortunately an 
excellent harbor was found in what the 
commander named Actinia Bay, from 
the large number of actinias, or sea- 
anemones, which the dredge brought 
up there. It is an inlet of Taimur 
Sound, running into the southwest 
coast of the island of the same name, 
at the entrance into Taimur Bay from 
the west. Here again they were de- 
tained until the 18th, using the time in 
explorations and investigations. They 
found the sound too shallow to be 
passed through by large vessels. 
Animal life was scant; some few rein- 
deer were seen, a mountain fox was 
killed, and a lemming caught; and ten 
or twelve species of birds were seen, 
among which were six waders. Of 
these and some young ptarmigans, 
quite a number were shot. Some 
thirty-four species of flowering plants 
were noticed, besides the usual num- arctic hair-star. 

ber of masses and lichens. A walrus had been seen during the voyage 
from Port Dickson, and now a number of seals were found floating 
on the ice in Taimur Sound. 

Again weighing anchor they skirted the west coast of Taimur 
Island, threading their way through many small islands still partially 




THE OLD PROBLEM SOLVED. 713 

enveloped in fog, requiring the almost constant use of their steam-whis- 
tles to keep from separating, but encountering no obstacle from ice, such 
as was met being mostly rotten river and bay ice. On the 19th the fog 
still continuing, they steamed by a large, high, unbroken field of ice, 
extending from a small bay on the west side of the peninsula, which 
caused them no little apprehension that they might find it impossible to 
double the great north cape of Asia, which was the main purpose of the 
expedition. A little farther on they had the good fortune to find, just 
west of the low-jutting promontory — or rather in the fork of it — an open 
bay which they named King Oscar, and in which both steamers came 
safely to anchor in the evening. They had nowhere met such old drift- 
ice as is encountered north of Spitzbergen. " We had now reached a 
goal," says Nordenskiold, " which for centuries had been the object of 
unsuccessful struggles. - For the first time a vessel lay at anchor off the 
northernmost cape of the Old World. No wonder then that the occur- 
rence was celebrated by a display of flags, and the firing of salutes, and 
when we returned from our excursion on land, by festivities on board, by 
wine and toasts. The north point of Asia forms a low promontory, 
which a bay divides into two, the eastern arm projecting a little farther 
to the north than the western. A ridge of hills with gently sloping 
sides runs into the land from the eastern point, and appears within sight 
of the western to reach a height of 300 metres (984 feet). Like the 
plains lying below, the summits of this range were nearly free of snow. 
Only on the sides of the hills or of the deep furrows excavated by the 
streams of melted snow, and in dales of the plains, were large white 
snow-fields to be seen. A low ice-foot still remained at most places along 
the shore; but no glacier rolled its bluish- white ice-masses down the 
mountain sides; and no inland lakes, no perpendicular cliffs, no high 
mountain summits, gave any natural beauty to the landscape, which was 
the most monotonous and the most desolate I have seen anywhere in the 
High North." 

Both the cape and the immediate tongue of land back of it are now 
distinctively known as Cape Chelyuskin and Chelyuskin Peninsula, both 
in the honor of the Russian explorer of that name, previously men- 



714 



ANIMAL LIFE. 



tioned. The great Taimur Peninsula, of which this tongue and cape 
form the extreme northern projection, is now further divided geograph- 
ically into a West and East Taimur Peninsula by the Taimur Lake and 
River; and it is to the eastern half that Chelyuskin Peninsula belongs. 
Here, facing the north pole and snuffing something he had never snuffed 
before, was seen a polar bear; but while Lieut. Brusewitz was preparing 
to pursue him, the salute to Cape Chelyuskin had scared him off, and he 
survived to lord it over the animal creation after the departure of his 




STAR -FISH OF NORTHERN WATERS. 



enemies. Twenty-three species of inconsiderable flowering-plants were 
found; some insects, chiefly the podurae, or spring-tail, a few flies, and a 
beetle. Of birds, a large number of sand-pipers and barnacle-geese, a 
loon, some kittiwakes and ivory-gulls were seen; and also some remains 
of owls. Of mammalia, the solitary bear already mentioned, was the 
only live representative of the land division; but traces of the reindeer 
and lemming were found on the plains; while marine mammals were 
represented by a walrus, several seals, and two shoals of white whales. 



THE VEGA AND LENA SEPARATE. 715 

The position of Cape Chelyuskin was determined by observations on 
land, but with an artificial horizon, to be latitude 77 ° 36' 48" and 103 
17' 12". 

Quitting King Oscar Bay on the 21st, the two steamers proceeded 
east-southeast until they cleared the East Taimur Peninsula, reaching 
77 by n6 Q on the 22d, after much conflict with ice-floes. Abandon- 
ing the purpose of making directly southeast for the islands of New 
Siberia, because of the ice-pack, they now steamed successively to every 
point of the compass in the effort to get into open water. On the 23d 
they were still badly entangled, and made but little progress, having 
been compelled to anchor to the ice twice in two days ; but as usual, these 
forced detentions were made available for scientific investigation. " The 
yield of the trawl net was extraordinarily abundant; large asterias, crin- 
oids, sponges, holothuria, a gigantic sea-spider (pycnogonid), masses of 
worms, crustacea, etc. It was the most abundant yield that the trawl 
net at any one time brought up during the whole of our voyage round 
the coast of Asia, and this from the sea off the northern extremity of 
that continent." Finally, at 8:45 in the evening they sighted the penin- 
sula to the west; and were now able to push rapidly to the south, in an 
open smooth sea, seven to ten kilometres — about four to six miles — from 
land, under a northwesterly breeze. 

On the 24th, proceeding still southward at about the same distance 
from land, they observed a chain of mountains a little way inland, about 
2,000 to 3,000 feet in height, and like the plains along the coast, entirely 
free from snow. At noon, with no ice in sight, they reached Prev- 
braschenie Island at the entrance to Chantanga Bay; and landing, killed 
two bears, and made some scientific observations. Weighing anchor at 
10: 30, and passing the mouth of Nordvik Bay in the night, they reached 
the north coast of the mainland on the 25th, and proceeded due east 
from longitude 114; along which — but in the main a little to the west of 
it — they had sailed since getting clear of the ice to the north. On the 
26th at noon they were in longitude 122 , and at night encountered 
shoals off the mouth of the Olonek. On the ensuing night the Vega 
and Lena parted company in the open sea in about longitude 12S 30', 



716 THE LENA REACHES IAKOUTSK. 

off Tumat Island, about 40'' north of the Lena Delta. Some rockets 
were fired off, and Capt. Johannesen received his final orders, passport, 
and copies of Russian official letters, instructing such representatives of 
that nation as he might fall in with, to render whatever assistance might 
be needed. During the whole voyage the ships had encountered much 
fog, but no ice of any consequence until after passing Cape Chelyuskin, 
and then only when they struck out across the Polar Sea toward New 
Siberia. While they followed the coast they found open water, always 
at a safe distance from the land on the one hand, and the ice-pack on the 
other. It was therefore demonstrated that, at least in seasons as favor- 
able as 1 87 8, the whole voyage may be made without meeting any 
serious obstruction from ice. The Lena reached Iakoutsk on the 21st of 
September amid great rejoicings, being the first ocean-steamer that had 
ever reached that far inland city, about 800 miles from the sea. 

After parting with the Lena, as stated, the Vega kept on to the east, 
reaching 132 at noon of the 28th, and sighting Stolbovoi Island in the 
afternoon. The 29th was spent in working around through rotten ice, 
causing some detention, and compelling them to proceed to the north of 
Stolbovoi, and then southeast toward Liackov or Lachow Island, reach- 
ing 140 at noon of the 30th. Finding ice heaped up in rather forbid- 
ding quantity on the west coast of the island, Nordenskiold relinquished 
his purpose of landing ; and the Vega kept on her way to the southeast, 
passing the famous Sviatoi Noss, the northernmost point of the mainland 
opposite the New Siberian Islands, in the night. They here noticed 
new ice beginning to form, though the temperature by their instruments 
was not quite as low as the freezing point. On the 1st of September 
they were at 150 , about one 'degree north of the mouth of the Indi- 
girka, and on the 2d the temperature fell to one degree below zero. On 
the 3d snow began to fall, and when they arrived off Bear Islands, north 
of the mouth of Kolyma, both vessel and land were lightly covered with 
it. The channel west and south of the islands, through "which they 
passed, was almost free of ice, but a little further out ice was abundant, 
and on the 4th, east of the islands, heavy masses were found to have 
drifted south, compelling the Vega to bear down nearer the coast toward 



TCHUKTCHIS. 717 

the Greater Baranow Rock. Indeed, ever since doubling Sviatoi Noss, 
the ice seen was more like that to be met off Spitzbergen, than any they 
had hitherto encountered on this voyage ; but no icebergs or large glacier 
blocks had been met or sighted. On the 5th they were off the mouth 
of the Baranicha, so often mentioned in the account of Wrangell's sledge- 
journeys, boldly steaming through some of the scenes of his greatest 
perils, and making about fifty miles a day. Passing the entrance to 
Tchaun Bay in the night, they reached Cape Schelagskoi at 4 o'clock on 
the afternoon of the 6th. 

The monotony of the voyage was at length about to be relieved. 
They received their first visit from natives. Two boats, not unlike the 
oomiaks of the Esquimaux, set out from the land, fully laden with men, 
women and children, clamorfeig to be taken aboard the Vega. These of 
course were the reader's old acquaintances, the Tchuktchi of these re- 
gions. " The type of face," says Nordenskiold, " did not strike one as 
so unpleasant as that of the Samoyeds or Esquimaux. Some of the 
young girls were not even absolutely ugly. In comparison with the 
Samoyeds they were even rather cleanly, and had a beautiful, almost 
reddish-white complexion." They were dismissed with gifts of tobacco 
and pipes, besides trinkets and clothing, and went off rejoicing. On the 
Sth, being beset by fog and ice, the Vega anchored, and her company 
went ashore, invited by the natives, who continued to make a favorable 
impression on their visitors. "Children, healthy and thriving, tenderly 
cared for by the inhabitants, were found in large numbers. The younger 
were treated with marked friendliness, and the older ones were never 
heard to utter an angry word. The women were treated as the equals 
of the men, and the wife was always consulted by the husband when a 
more important bargain than usual was to be made. The dwellings con- 
sisted of roomy skin tents, which inclose a sleeping chamber, hexagonal 
in form, hung with warm, well-prepared reindeer skins, and lighted and 
warmed by one or more train oil lamps. It is here that the family sleep 
during summer, and here most of them live, day and night, during win- 
ter. In summer — less frequently in winter — a fire is lighted, besides, in 
the outer tent with wood, for which purpose a hole is opened in the top 



718 BORING THROUGH THE PACK. 

of the raised tent-roof. But to be compelled to use wood for heating 
the inner tent the Tchuktchis consider the extreme of scarcity of fuel." 

Though there was no village in the immediate vicinity, there was no 
lack of visitors, and the report of their arrival seemed to have spread very 
rapidly. The Swedes had but few articles of barter, and soon got rid of 
their stock of tobacco and Dutch pipes. Getting ready to sail on the 
10th, they could make but little headway, and lay to in the ice during the 
night; but by keeping quite close to the shore they were able to creep 
along, again lying to on the night of the nth. This was at Irkaipie, 
Cook's Cape North, longitude 180 , whence Wrangell tried in vain to 
sight "the alleged inhabited northern country." On the 12th, beyond 
Cape North, the Vega at last found her way blocked by the ice-pack, 
and turning back, found temporary refuge near the cape, where they 
were detained by the untoward condition of the ice until the iSth. Be- 
sides the usual scientific investigations, some remains of the Oukilon or 
Coast race, here occupied the attention of the scientists. "A large num- 
ber of house-sites, and implements of stone, bone and slate, were found; 
also middens, or refuse heaps, containing bones of several species of 
whales, and of the seal, walrus, reindeer, bear, dog, fox, and various kinds 
of birds." 

Growing impatient of detention, they pushed forward on the iSth, 
and after struggling almost constantly with ice, reached Cape Onman on 
the 26th. At times boring through the ice with the strong bows of the 
Vega; at others moored to a floe, or grounded mass; sometimes with 
only a foot of water under the keel ; at others aground on shore-ice, 
awaiting high tide, while axes, picks and poles are brought into active 
service, they worked their tedious way, making not quite twenty miles 
of actual advance in nine days, four of which, however, were lost, in two 
equal periods of forced inaction. On the 27th, steering south a little 
way into Kolyutchin Bay, to avoid the ice surrounding the island of the 
same name at its entrance, and then east to resume their direct course, 
they anchored in the afternoon to a floe near the eastern shore. The next 
day they doubled the headland, and crept forward, hoping to make their 
way through Behring's Straits to some of the Pacific islands. 



CHAPTER LXXVIII. 

THE VEGA IN WINTER QUARTERS THE USUAL PREPARATIONS — 

THE AVERAGE COLD THE HOME OF HONESTY NORDENSKIOLD's 

EXCURSION TO PIDLIN — CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS — VISITORS 

AT THE VEGA AURORAL DISPLAYS COMMENTS ON THE ANIMAL 

LIFE OF THE REGION A TCHUKTCHI GRAVEYARD THE AP- 
PROACH OF RELEASE. 

On the 29th, finding no lane, lead or outlet through the pack, the 
Vega was moored to a mass of ground ice, 130 feet long, 80 wide and 
20 high, which afforded a fair shelter, but.no proper haven. This, how- 
ever, proved to be the winter quarters, except that later on ship and shel- 
ter were pushed by the outer ice to within seven-eighths of a mile of the 
coast. Soon the ice-belt which had obstructed their advance grew from 
six or seven to eighteen or twenty miles wide, and there was no longer 
any hope of getting away until the ensuing summer. Their exact posi- 
tion was ascertained to be in latitude 67 \' 49" north, and longitude 
1 73 23' 2" west — 180 east, half the circumference from Greenwich, 
had been passed at Cape North. " It was an unexpected disappoint- 
ment," says Nordenskiold, " which it was the more difficult to bear with 
equanimity, as it was evident that we would have avoided it if we had 
come some hours earlier to the eastern side of Kolyutchin Bay. There 
were numerous occasions during the preceding part of our voyage on 
which these hours might have been saved. The Vega did not require to 
stay so long at Port Dickson; we might have saved a day at Taimur 
Island; have dredged somewhat less west of the New Siberian Islands, 
and so on ; and above all, our long stay at Irkaipie, waiting for an im- 
provement in the state of the ice, was fatal, because at least three days 
were lost there without any change for the better taking place." 

It scarcely needs be said that, as soon as it was fully understood that 

719 



720 AVERAGE COLD— STATE OF HEALTH. 

this was indeed their utmost limit for the year 1878, they set themselves to 
work diligently to make the best of it. The usual preparations were 
made for the health and comfort of the men ; an observatory was erected, 
and various scientific experiments were set on foot. To guard against 
the not impossible contingency of grave disaster to the ship during the 
anticipated prevalence of severe storms later on, a depot of provisions 
was established ashore, containing necessary stores and provisions for 
sixty men for 100 days. "The stores," says Nordenskiold, "were laid 
upon the beach without the protection of lock or bolt, covered only 
with sails and oars, and no watch was kept at the place. Notwithstand- 
ing this, and the want of food which occasionally prevailed among the 
natives, it remained untouched by the Tchuktchis who lived in the 
neighborhood, and by those who daily drove past the place from distant 
regions. All, however, knew very well the contents of the sail-covered 
heap; and they undoubtedly supposed that there were to be found there 
treasures of immense value, and provisions enough for the whole popula- 
tion of the Tchuktchi peninsula for a whole year." 

The average greatest cold for the first five months of detention — 
October to February — was 35 below zero; the lowest point reached 
being 45. 7 , on the 25th of January; and for the remaining five months 
24 , the highest being i° below zero, on the 2d of July. The state of 
health on board during the course of the winter was exceedingly good, 
there being but few cases of serious indisposition, mostly stomach colds 
and slight lung inflammations, all of which yielded readily to medical 
treatment, and not a single case of scurvy. There were about 300 na- 
tives, in the vicinity of the ship, including those on Kolyutchin Island, 
all, except the islanders, within a distance of five miles. " Dog team af- 
ter dog-team stood all day in rows, or more correctly, lay snowed up, 
before the ice-built flight of steps to the deck of the Vega, patiently 
waiting for the return of the visitors, or for the pemmican I now and then 
from pity ordered to be given to the hungered animals. We soon had 
visits from even distant settlements, and the Vega finally became a rest- 
ing-place at which every passer-by stopped with his dog-team for some 
hours in order to satisfy his curiosity, or to obtain in exchange for good 



NORDENSKIOLD VISITS PIDLIN. 721 

words, or some more acceptable wares, a little warm food, a bit of 
tobacco, and sometimes, when the weather was very stormy, a little 
drop of spirits. We had not, however, to lament the loss of the mer- 
est trifle. Honesty was as much at home here as in the huts of the 
reindeer Lapps. 

" On the 5th of October the openings between the drift-ice fields 
next the vessel were covered with splendid skating ice, of which we 
availed ourselves by celebrating a gay and joyous skating festival." 
On the 6th they received a visit from Vassili Menka, a chief or elder of 
the reindeer Tchuktchis ; and on the 8th Nordquist and Hovgaard started 
with him from his encampment, not far from the ship, for the inte- 
rior, to buy reindeer, and explore the country. The sledges were drawn 
by ten, nine, and five dogs, in the ratio of the weight of each, and re- 
turned in the evening of the 1 ith, having gone beyond Lake Utchunutch, 
and bought two slaughtered reindeer at about $1.25 each. Through 
Menka, four months later, though the agreement was made at this time, 
Nordenskiold sent letters to the Anadyrsk, where he arrived on the 7th 
of March, 1879. Conveyed thence to Iakoutsk, which took until the 
10th of May, the first news from the winter quarters of the expedition was 
received in Sweden, by telegraph, on the 16th of May — "just at a time 
when concern for the fate of the Vega was beginning to be very great, 
and the question of relief expeditions was seriously entertained." 

Matters being in good shape at the ship, Nordenskiold made an ex- 
cursion to the native settlement of Pidlin, on the eastern shore of Kolyut- 
chin Bay, distant about a dozen miles, to learn something of the domes- 
tic habits and peculiarities of the Tchuktchis. He enjoyed their hospi- 
tality for a night, which seemed to be as much as he could stand at one 
time, and returned the next day, having noted a few of their supersti- 
tions, as well as the great heat and stench of their tents. On the other 
hand, "All sensible people among them had evidently come to the con- 
clusion that it was profitless trouble to seek a seasonable explanation of 
all the follies which the strange foreigners, richly provided with many 
earthly gifts, but by no means with practical sense, perpetrated." Visits 
to and from the natives, hunting and scientific excursions, the routine of 
46 



722 HOPE OF RELEASE. 

duties aboard ship, filled the days and weeks. "One day was very like 
another. When the storm howled, the snow drifted, and the cold be- 
came too severe, we kept more below deck ; when the weather was finer, 
we lived more in the open air, often paying visits to the observatory in 
the ice-house, and among the Tchuktcliis living in the neighborhood, or 
wandering about, to come, if possible, upon some game." 

On the 15th of December there was a violent movement of the ice, 
but without injury to the ship; and on the 18th a lane was seen to the 
north, but it was soon closed by drift-ice. A week later they celebrated 
Christmas in a joyous and festive manner. "A large number of small 
wax-lights, which we had brought with us for the special purpose, were 
fixed in the Christmas tree, together with about two hundred Christmas 
boxes purchased, or presented to us, before our departure. At 6 p. m. 
all the officers and crew assembled in the 'tween-decks, which had been 
richly and tastefully ornamented with flags, and the drawing of lots be- 
gan," followed by supper, songs, toasts, and general good-fellowship. A 
week later, the new year, 1879, "was shot in with sharp explosive-shell 
firing from the rifled cannon of the Vega, and a number of rockets 
thrown up from the deck." With it came some hope of release. The 
north winds had recently given way to the warm south winds, creating 
considerable cleanings out to sea; but the Vega's ice-fetters remained un- 
disturbed. Again, on the 6th of February, the thermometer rose to 
above freezing point, and open water of great extent was visible to the 
north; the Tchuktchis killed a polar bear and seventy-eight seals, and 
reveled in temporary luxury, or abundance of food, lightening the tax on 
the ship's supplies, and putting a stop to the begging importunity of the 
poor natives ; but there was still no chance of release for the ship. 

On the 1 7th of February Lieut. Brusewitz made a sledge excursion 
to Naitskai, along shore to the east, about ten miles from winter quarters ; 
and on his return reported hospitable entertainment, and abundance of 
seals in the tents of the natives. He saw eight hares, and a fox, but no 
ptarmigans. On the 20th three large Tchuktchi sledges, drawn by six- 
teen to twenty dogs, and laden with goods for Nishni Kolymsk, arrived 
at the Vega. By these letters were sent, which it was afterward ascer- 




723 



724 A HUMANE SAVAGE. 

tained reached the Kolyma on the 4th of April, and Sweden on the 2d 
of August. Early in March a number of laden dog-sledges passed to 
the east on their way from Cape Irkaipie to Behring's Straits for pur- 
poses of trade with the natives of the islands of the North Pacific, and 
Alaska. These were followed, after the middle of the month, by larger 
reindeer-sledges laden with reindeer skins and Russian goods, from the 
fair of Ostrovnoi, for the same market. 

On the 17th of March Lieut. Palander and Dr. Kjellman made an 
excursion eleven miles to the south, to buy reindeer-flesh; they found the 
reindeer-camp and the owner, by whom they were hospitably enter- 
tained, but who declined to sell on any terms, as the animals were, he 
said, too lean to be slaughtered. His treatment of his stock won the ad- 
miration of the visitors: "It was not the grim, hard savage showing in 
a coarse and barbarous way his superiority over the animals, but the 
good master treating his inferiors kindly, and having a friendly word 
and gentle touch for each of them. Here good relations prevailed be- 
tween man and the animals. The owner went forward and saluted 
every reindeer; they were allowed to stroke his hands with their noses. 
He, on his part, took every reindeer by the horn, and examined it in the 
most careful way." A trip, 20th to 25th, was made by Brusewitz, 
Nordquist, and three others of the ship's company, with a Tchuktchi 
guide, to Lake Nutschoityin, to fish and explore. 

On the 19th of April Lieut. Bove and a companion made a three 
days' excursion along shore to the east, reaching the village of Tiapka, 
some fifteen miles distant; and two months later, he and Dr. Almquist 
made a four days' excursion to the interior, when they penetrated about 
thirty miles southwest to near the eastern shore of Kolyutchin Bay. It 
will be noticed that all these excursions from the Vega were of short 
duration, which was due to the commander's natural unwillingness to 
permit long absences from the ship, because of her exposed condition. A 
few days' violent storm from the south or southeast might at any time 
place her in jeopardy. In May they had only a few hours of mild 
weather; and even on the 3d'of June the thermometer stood 14 below 
zero; but on the 13th it rose to S° below, and during the day, a southerly 



AURORAL DISPLAY. 725 

breeze sprang up which put an end to the coid weather. Thence on, the 
mercury only exceptionally fell below the freezing point. 

Throughout the winter and spring there were frequent auroral dis- 
plays, which were observed with great minuteness of detail, and have 
been published separately. Their value and interest did not, as in many 
other Arctic voyages, arise from any special brilliancy of coloring or ex- 
ceptional phenomena, but from their continuous and almost uniform ap- 
pearance, which afforded excellent opportunities for accurate measure- 
ment and scientific investigation of the common auroral arc. Most 
Polar expeditions have wintered too far north for this purpose, and have 
usually witnessed only the more gorgeous occasional ray and drapery 
auroras, or exceptional aurora storms, the common arc lying almost or 
quite under their horizon. 

It was noticed that the migratory birds arrived in fewer numbers but 
in much greater variety than at Nova Zembla, Spitzbergen, or Green- 
land. The most common of the mammalia "was the hare in little flocks 
of five or six; three species of foxes were also seen in considerable num- 
bers; and of the lemming the same number of varieties. The wolf and 
wild reindeer had a few representatives; and traces of the hibernating 
land-bear and marmot were also seen. The otter, beaver and weasel, 
were described by the Tchuktchis, and two skins of the last-named were 
obtained from them, but no living representative of any of the three was 
encountered. The Polar bear, in a few instances, and the bristled seal, 
in great numbers, were seen ; and of the latter many were killed by the 
Tchuktchis, constituting their staple food. Nearly one hundred distinct 
species of plants were noted, of which more than half are indigenous 
to the Scandinavian Peninsula; and the earliest date of flowering was 
the 23d of June. A few flies had been noticed on a particularly pleas- 
ant day four weeks before this time, but it was not until the end of June 
that insects appeared in any considerable numbers. 

On the 19th of June the Vega was visited by a Christianized 
Tchuktchi, named Noah Elisei, who had been sent forward by Russian 
officials at Nishni Kolymsk in the hope of being of service to the expe- 
dition. The chief, if not only, advantage derived was in the barter of 






AURORAL DISPLAY SEEN FROM THE VBGA. 



726 



A TCHUKTCHI GRAVEYARD. 727 

three reindeer for tea, sugar, and tobacco, besides numerous gratuities to 
Elisei, his two wives, and his large family of children. 

Among the last excursions was one to a Tchuktchi graveyard by Dr. 
Stuxberg, of which he gives the following account: "The Tchuktchi 
graves on the heights south of Pitlekai and Inretlen (perhaps two miles 
from the Vega), which were examined by me on the 4th and 7th of 
July, 1879, were nearly fifty in number. Every grave consisted of an 
oval formed of large stones laid flat. At one end there was generally a 
large stone raised on its edge, and from the opposite end there went out 
one or two pieces of wood lying on the ground. The area within the 
stone circle was sometimes overlaid with small stones, sometimes free, and 
overgrown with grass. At all the graves, at a distance of four to seven 
paces from the stone standing on its edge, in the longitudinal axis of the 
grave, or a little to the side of it, there was another small circle of stones, 
inclosing a heap of reindeer horns, commonly containing also broken 
seals' skulls and other fragments of bones. On only one grave were found 
pieces of human bones. The graves were evidently very old, for the 
bits of wood at the ends were generally much decayed, and almost 
wholly covered with earth; and the stones were completely overgrown 
with lichens on the upper side. I estimate the age of these graves at 
about two hundred years." 

At length the moment of release approached. The temperature had 
remained below freezing point to the middle of June. On the 14th, 
however, there was a sudden change to milder weather. A heavy thaw 
set in, and the coast land was so covered with mud and slush that all ex- 
cursions had to be discontinued. But the ice which bound the ship was 
still so strong that the explorers did not expect to be able to leave before 
August. Throughout their stay there had been open water seaward, but 
usually at a great distance from the ship. " On the 16th of July," says 
Nordenskiold, " a heavily laden double sledge could still be driven from 
the vessel to the shore"; and the next day the year's ice around them 
began to break up, but the ground-ice was still undisturbed, and it was 
judged that several days would elapse before they could get clear. So 
the commander determined to take the steam launch to sea, and visit 



r?8 



THE VEGA FREE. 



some whalers reported by the natives to be off Serdze Kamen. But by 
i : 30 on the 1 8th, when almost ready to set out, there was noticed a 
movement of the ice which held the Vega. An hour later Palander, 
wno was prepared for every emergency, had steam up; and in another 
hour, the ship was free. At 3 : 30 she steamed away, first a little to the 
west to get clear of the floe, and then in the right direction, eastward for 
Serdze Kameti and Behring's Strait, encountering no further obstruction 
from the ice thenceforth to the close of the voyage. The detention in 
winter quarters had lasted 293 days. 




CHAPTER LXXIX 

FREED FROM HER MOORINGS DIOMEDE ISLAND ST. LAWRENCE 

ISLAND NORDENSKIOLD REACHES A TELEGRAPH STATION — AT 

YOKOHAMA A SERIES OF FESTIVALS AT HONG KONG CEYLON 

-CHRISTMAS AT SEA— THE SUEZ CANAL A RECEPTION AT 

BOULOGNE THE GRAND CELEBRATION COMMENTS ON THE 

EXPEDITION. 

No sooner had the vessel swung loose from her moorings and got 
outside the few masses of ice that had formed her winter haven than she 
found an ice-free lead to the east, and encountered no further obstacles 
on her way to the Pacific. In ten hours they passed Serdze Kamen, in 
172 west, and steering thence southeast, they arrived off Cape East in 
Behring's Strait on the morning of the 20th, and at 1 1 o'clock, being 
about midway between the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, "The Vega greeted 
the Old and New Worlds by a display of flags, and the firing of a 
Swedish salute." Thus finally was reached the goal toward which so 
many nations had struggled, all along from the time when Sir Hugh 
Willoughby with the firing of salutes from cannon, and with hurrahs 
from the festive-clad seamen, in the presence of an innumerable crowd of 
jubilant men, certain of success, ushered in the long series of Northeast 
Voyages, 326 years before. 

The prevalence of fog rendered unadvisable a landing, otherwise much 
desired, " at Diomede Island, the famous market-place of the polar tribes, 
situated in the narrowest part of the Straits, nearly half-way between 
Asia and America; and probably before the time of Columbus, a station 
for traffic between the "Old and New W°orlds." They first cast anchor 
in St. Lawrence Bay, where various expeditions and investigations 
among the tribes on the east coast of the Tchuktchi Peninsula were zeal- 
ously taken up, but only for a single day, as the commander was anxious 

729 



730 AN ARCTIC COLONY. 

to reach a telegraph station to communicate the safety of the expedition 
to the king and people of Sweden, and the world at large. Steaming 
across to the American side they anchored in Port Clarence, where they 
were soon called upon by the Esquimaux for interchange of civilities, 
gifts, and barter. Here they remained until the 26th, when the Vega 
recrossed to the Tchuktchi peninsula, farther to the south than before, 
and anchored in Konyam Bay on the 28th. The mountains were high 
and split up into pointed summits with deep valleys still partlv filled with 
snow; but no glaciers were seen. The inner bay was still covered with 
an unbroken sheet of ice, 'which, suddenly breaking up on the 30th, they 
beat a rather precipitate retreat, just in time to escape the last chance of 
conflict with the great enemy of Arctic expeditions. 

Steaming away to St. Lawrence Island the Vega anchored in an 
open bay on the northwest coast on the 31st. Notwithstanding its very 
considerable size, eightv by thirty miles, the island has no good harbor; 
and the Vega left her exposed situation on the 2d of August. The next 
anchorage was made on the 14th in an almost equally exposed bay on 
the west of Behring's Island. In the dreary, treeless land "where Beh- 
ring and companions met nothing but desolation, sand hills, and ravenous 
foxes, Nordenskiold and party found a thriving colony of American and 
Russian traders, with dwelling-houses, official buildings, storehouses, a 
schoolhouse, and church. Behring, Copper, and ToporkofF Islands, be- 
sides several islets and rocks, constitude the group known as Command- 
er's Islands. " The part of Behring Island which we saw," says Nor- 
denskiold, " forms a high plain resting on volcanic rocks, which, how- 
ever, is interrupted at many places by deep kettle valleys, the bottoms of 
which are generally occupied by lakes which communicate with the sea 
by large or small rivers. The banks of the lakes and the slopes of the 
hills are covered with a luxuriant vegetation, rich in long grass and 
beautiful flowers; and might without difficulty feed large herds of cattle, 
perhaps as numerous as the herds of sea-cows that formerly pastured on 
its shores." 

Finding here a steamer of the Alaska Company bound for Petropau- 
lovsky, Nordenskiold was somewhat relieved of his anxiety to reach a 



AT YOKOHAMA. 731 

telegraph station, whence to dispatch news of the safety of the expe- 
dition. He had of course no means of knowing with certainty that his 
letters through the Tchuktchis had been safely forwarded ; and he wished 
to relieve the suspense of king and people, and of the world at large, 
and save the expense of unnecessary relief expeditions. After a short 
but pleasant sojourn at the civilized colony, they left their moorings on 
the 19th, and on the 25th struck the Gulf Stream of the Pacific. On the 
31st the mainmast of the Vega was struck by lightning, and the vane 
with some inches of the pole was thrown into the sea, while all on board 
received a violent shaking, but suffered no serious inconuenience. On the 
2d of September, at 9 : 30 in the evening, the Vega anchored in the harbor 
of Yokohoma, Japan; and Nordenskiold at length had access to a tele- 
graph station, and also a little experience of official obstruction in getting 
his messages off. Here he learned that a relief steamer, called by his 
name, had been sent forward by his friend Sibiriakoff, and had been 
stranded on the coast of Yesso, fortunately without loss of life, and with 
a fair prospect of being got off safely. 

With Yokahama began the series of festivities and celebrations in 
honor of Nordenskiokl and his companions which soon encompassed the 
world, either actually or by sympathy of feeling. One unsolved prob- 
lem — by many deemed insolvable — had not only been worked out, but 
the task had been achieved without loss of life, and with little more actual 
inconvenience, except from cold and the accidental detention in the ice, 
than men often experience on an inglorious fishing excursion. Civilized 
man everywhere rejoiced. " The great things left undone in the world " 
had been diminished by one, and another hero, representative of what 
can be done by man, was enthroned amid the plaudits of an admiring 
world. The first formal ovation was by a grand dinner at the Grand 
Hotel on the 10th of September, followed the ensuing day by a break- 
fast with the Japanese ministers. On the 13th, the German Club, and 
on the 15th the Tokio Geographical Society, were the hosts, while on 
the 17th the members of the expedition were formally presented to the 
Mikado at his palace in Tokio. With fetes, excursions, balls, and sight- 
seeings, their stay at Yokahama was rendered very enjoyable, but holi- 



732 THE CONFUSION OF BABEL. 

days must come to a close — indeed, they derive their chief zest from the 
consciousness of hard work before and after — and the Vega weighed 
anchor on the nth of October, but it was not until the 27th that they 
finally took leave of Japan at Nagasaki. The Vega had meanwhile 
been overhauled, and copper-bottomed, to protect her hull from the bor- 
ing mussels of the tropical seas, besides receiving some light gen end re- 
pairs, and some changes in interior outfit. 

On the 2d of November our voyagers arrived at Hong Kong, and 
received of course an ovation from a settlement which represents the na- 
tion that has contributed most to Arctic exploration ever since the time 
of Cabot. They remained five days, and were not only well entertained 
by officials, but were much interested in the glimpses of Chinese life they 
were able to catch, especially in the neighboring city of Canton. Leav- 
ing Hong Kong on the 9th, and proceeding south through the China 
Sea, they anchored in the harbor of Labuan, off the northwest coast of 
Borneo on the 17th. On the 21st they sailed for Singapore, at the south- 
ern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, where they arrived on the 28th. 
Here, as elsewhere, Nordenskiold and the scientists availed themselves 
of every opportunity to study the manners and customs of the people, 
ethnological characteristics, and whatever strange or peculiar they 
were able to detect in the social or political life of the races they encoun- 
tered, besides the direct scientific investigations they had prosecuted from 
the beginning. Singapore is situated exactly half way in the circum- 
navigation of Europe and Asia from Sweden. A Babel-like confusion 
of speech prevails in the town, owing to the great number of nationalities 
represented — Chinese, Malavs, Klings, Bengalese, Parsees, Singhalese, 
negroes, Arabs, besides Americans and Europeans. 

Entering on the second but well-known half of the voyage on the 
4th of December, 1879, they arrived at Point de Galle, on the southwest 
coast of Ceylon, on the 15th, "having had during the passage from 
Singapore a pretty steady and favorable monsoon. While sailing 
through the Straits of Malacca, a strong ball-lightning was often seen 
a little after sunset. The electrical discharges appeared to go on princi- 
pally from the mountain heights on both sides of the straits. In the sea- 



A NEW TEAR'S CALL. . 733 

port towns the Singhalese are insufferaole by their begging, their loquac- 
ity, and the unpleasant custom they have of asking up to ten times as 
much while making a bargain as they are pleased to accept in the end. 
In the interior of the country the state of things in this respect is much 
better. "During our stay in Japan and our voyage thence to Ceylon, I 
had endeavored," says Nordenskiold, " at least in some degree, to pre- 
serve the character of the voyage of the Vega as a scientific expedition, 
an attempt which, considering the short time the Vega remained at each 
place, could not yield any very important results, and which besides was 
rendered difficult, though in a way that was agreeable and flattering to 
us, by I may almost say the tempestuous hospitality with which the 
Vega men were everywhere received during their visits to the ports of 
Japan and East Asia." 

Leaving Galle on the-22d of December, they celebrated Christmas 
at sea in a modest but commemorative way, being tired of festive enter- 
tainments and luxurious banqueting. A New Year's call was made on 
the officers by the men of the forecastle in the character of Tchuktchis, 
offering the compliments of the season, and complaining bitterly of the 
unendurable heat, while they lavished unstinted praise on the beautiful 
lands of the heaven-favored Tchuktchis of the Polar Sea, where one could 
wear nice fur clothes all the year round. They reached Aden, at the 
entrance of the Red Sea, on the 7th of January, 1880. "No place in 
the high North," says Nordenskiold, "not the granite cliffs of the Seven 
Islands, or the pebble rocks of Low Island on Spitzbergen; not the 
mountain sides on the east coast of Nova Zembla, or the figure-marked 
ground at Cape Chelyuskin, is so bare of vegetation as the environs of 
Aden, and the parts of the east coast of the Red Sea which we saw. 
Nor can there be any comparison in respect of the abundance of animal 
life between the equatorial countries and the polar regions we have 
named, being much richer in the latter." Setting out on the 9th, they 
traversed the Red Sea, about 1400 miles in length, and being delayed 
by adverse winds, did not reach Suez till the 27th of January. Here 
were more receptions, excursions to Cairo and the Pyramids, banquets 
from geographical and scientific societies, a ball from the Swedish consul, 



734 AT BOULOGNE. 

and a trip to the Mokattam Mountains, for specimens of the petrified 
wood for which they are famous. " These lie spread ahout in the desert 
in incredible masses, partly broken up into small pieces, partly long, 
fallen tree-stems, without root or branches, but in a wonderfully good 
state of preservation." 

Steaming through the Suez Canal on the 3d of February, and touch- 
ing at Port Said on the 5th, they arrived on the 14th at Naples, the first 
European port they were to visit. The various incidents of a most en- 
thusiastic reception followed close on each other's heels every day and 
night until the 19th, at Naples; and from the 20th to the 25th at Rome. 
National, civic, scientific and social demonstrations and courtesies of 
every kind were showered upon the members of the expedition. Drs. 
Kjellman, Almquist and Stuxberg, with Lieut. Nordquist, now set 
out for home by rail, and Lieut. Bove remained behind at his home in 
Italy, so that on the departure of the Vega from Naples on the last day 
of February, 18S0, the members of the expedition on board were the 
commander, Nordenskiold, Capt. Palander, and the Lieuts. Brusewitz 
and Hovgaard. 

The Vega passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on the 9th of 
March, and anchored in the harbor of Lisbon on the nth. Here they 
were welcomed, feted and decorated as at Naples until the 15th, when 
they sailed for Portsmouth, England. Meeting headwinds as she en- 
tered the English Channel, the Vega put in to Falmouth on the 25th, 
and the remainder of the month was occupied by Nordenskiold and 
Palander in various receptions and courtesies from representative individ- 
uals and societies of " the land which stands first in the line of those that 
have sent out explorers to the Polar Seas." 

On the 1st of April there was a reception breakfast and dinner at 
Boulogne, whence they proceeded to Paris, arriving on the morning of 
the 2d at 7 o'clock. "Our reception in Paris," says Nordenskiold, 
" was magnificent, and it appeared as if the metropolis of the world 
wished to show by the way in which she honored a feat of naviga- 
tion that it is not "without reason that she bears on her shield a ves- 
sel surrounded by swelling billows." Dinners, halls, receptions, na- 



THE FINAL CELEBRATIONS. 73o 

tional, municipal and scientific, honors, attentions, decorations, were 
crowded fast upon the two distinguished leaders of the Swedish expe- 
dition, Nordenskiold and Palander, beginning promptly on the morn- 
ing of their arrival, and closing only on the eve of their departure. 
On the 9th they left Paris to join the Vega, which had meanwhile 
been taken forward to Vlissingen (Flushing), in the Netherlands, by 
Lieut. Brusewitz. Immediately on their arrival aboard, the Vega 
weighed anchor, the voyagers respectfully declining the proffered ova- 
tions of Holland and Belgium, " from want of time and strength to 
take part in any more festivities." As they approached Copenhagen, 
however, they encountered another wave of popular enthusiasm, the 
countrymen of Lieut. Hovgaard of the expedition offering their con- 
gratulations in a spontaneous outburst on the 15th, followed by more 
formal and official recognition of the already repeatedly described pat- 
tern until the 19th. 

The final celebrations were reserved for the capital of Sweden, 
which had received such distinguished renown from the great exploit 
of her sons. Leaving Copenhagen on the evening of the 19th, they 
arrived off Dalarve, twenty miles from Stockholm, on the 23d, where 
they awaited the time appointed for the formal entry into the harbor of 
the capital of the nation. Meanwhile at Dalarve they were rejoined by 
their families and the absent members of the expedition. On the 24th, 
at 8 a. m., the Vega again weighed anchor and steamed slowly past 
Vaxholm into Stockholm. "We met innumerable flag-decked .steamers 
by the way fully laden with friends, known and unknown, who with 
shouts of rejoicing welcomed the Vega men home. The nearer we came 
to Stockholm, the greater became the number of steamers, that, ar- 
ranged in a double line and headed by the Vega, slowly approached the 
harbor. Lanterns in variegated colors were lighted on the vessels, fire- 
works were let off, and the roar of cannon mingled with the loud hur- 
rahs of thousands of spectators. After being greeted at Kastelholmen 
with one more salute, the Vega anchored in the stream in Stockholm at 
10 p. M. The Queen of the Malar (Stockholm) had clothed herself for 
the occasion in a festive dress of incomparable splendor. The city was 



736 COMMENTS ON NORDENSKIOLD. 

illuminated, the buildings around the harbor being in the first rank. 
Specially had the king done evei^thing to make the reception of the 
Vega Expedition, which he had so warmly cherished from the first 
moment, as magnificent as possible. The whole of the royal palace was 
radiant with a sea of lights and flames, being ornamented with symbols 
and ciphers, among which the name of the youngest sailor on the Vega 
was not omitted. An estrade had been erected from Logaorden to the 
landing-place. Here we were received by the town-councillors, whose 
president, the governor, welcomed us in a short speech ; we were then con- 
ducted to the palace, where, in the presence of Her Majesty, the Queen 
of Sweden, the members of the royal house, the highest officials of the 
state and court, etc., we were in the grandest manner welcomed in the 
name of the fatherland by the King of Sweden, who at the same time 
conferred upon us further marks of his favor and good will (commem- 
orative medals, etc.) It was also at the royal palace that the series of 
festivities commenced with a grand gala dinner on the 25th of April, at 
which the king in a few magnanimous words praised the exploit of the 
Vega. Then fete followed fete for several weeks." 

And greater than all festivities, the triumphant fact was duly regis- 
tered as one of the great pivotal events in the records of humanity. The 
success of the Vega is one of the grand historic achievements of the race, 
and may lead directly to the discovery of the Pole. The more expe- 
ditions there are which owe their success to well-designed, carefully- 
executed plans, the more likelihood there is that a broad national or inter- 
national polar expedition will be organized in such a manner as to com- 
mand success. The wide experience and characteristics of Nordenskiold 
mark him as the leader of that great achievement, if projected soon 
enough. He is now fifty, and there is no time to lose. The frozen north 
is no field for freezing age, but demands the vigor of manhood com- 
bined with the experience of mature years. Nordenskiold is the man, 
and the world calls him to the task. Should he fail of reaching the 
Pole, he will not fail to make the feat more feasible for his successors. 






PART VI. 



THE JEMNETTE, 




" They should have died in their own loved land, 
Wit h friends and kinsmen near them; 

Not have withered thus on a foreign strand, 
With no thought save Heaven to cheer them. 

Bid what recks it now ? Is their sleep less sound, 
In the place where the zvild waves swept them, 

Than if home's green turf their graves had bound, 
Or the hearts they loved had wept them f 



CHAPTER LXXX. 

SOME COMMENTS ON ARCTIC NAVIGATION ITS RETROSPECT, DAN- 
GERS, AND PROSPECTS THE DESIRE OF JAMES GORDON BENNETT 

THE PANDORA HER VOYAGE UNDER ALLEN YOUNG AT 

DISCO AT UPERNAVIK DISCOVERY OF SIR JOHN ROSS' YACHT 

MARY NORTHUMBERLAND ARRIVE AT PORTSMOUTH. 

The careful reader must have long since noticed the almost rhyth- 
mical ehb and flow with which voyages of discovery alternately sought 
and abandoned each of the possible routes, first to the Indies, and later to 
the Pole. The West, Northwest, Southwest and Northeast Passages, 
had each its period of preference as the route to the East; and later, 
Baffin's Bay, the Greenland-Spitzbergen Sea, and Behring's Strait, as 
the highway to the Pole. Parry had pushed through the central route 
by Spitzbergen to 82 ° 45' ; by the western route of Baffin's Bay and its 
outlets, Nares had reached S3 20' 26"; and Wrangell, by what might 
be considered a continuation of the eastern route, by way of Behring's 
Straits — the line being as it were taken up where it had been dropped 
by Cook and others — had arrived at 71 ° 43' off the Siberian coast. 
Meanwhile, the Northwest Passage had been found and surveyed in 
detail, in the interests of geography and general knowledge, long after 
its impracticability as a commercial route to the East had been fully 
recognized. And now the Northeast Passage was once more being tested, 
and with success, as we have seen, by Nordenskiold. Of the interesting 
series of voyages recorded in this work, the chief impelling motive, in 
the earlier periods, was commercial enterprise, tinged with more or less 
of national glory or international jealousy, and never quite deprived of a 
laudable desire to increase the sum of human knowledge. At a later 
period, geography, and still later various natural sciences, together with 

an ever-increasing ardor to enlarge the volume of ascertained truth for its 

739 



740 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 

own sake, have constituted the inspiration of these heroic endeavors. 
All the great nations of modern times have had their representatives in 
the long list of navigators whose names adorn these pages, showing that 
in the greater problems of humanity the whole world recognizes a com- 
munity of interest, and an instinctive unity of purpose and effort. 

Encompassed by hitherto insurmountable obstacles, and bristling with 
almost inconceivable dangers, Polar navigation has originated and 
developed more varied skill and heroic daring than the discovery and 
exploration of all the rest of the globe. It has had and still has, a pecu- 
liar fascination for the bravest and most adventurous of the race; and 
offers many of the grandest and most sublime attractions to compensate 
for its dangerous and monotonous desolation. The North Polar regions 
offer an ever- widening field of investigation to the scientist; and many 
problems of meteorology, light and magnetism are receiving elucidation 
from the discoveries made in high latitudes, while the artist finds much 
to enlist his enthusiasm in the grandly picturesque scenesv presented in 
this huge laboratory of Nature. The vastness of her operations is ex- 
hibited on every hand in the huge icebergs and immense glaciers, clad in 
dazzling whiteness in the light of the long, unbroken Arctic day, or 
glittering in the moon's silvery rays, at intervals, in the Arctic night, or 
displaying a weird, melancholy beauty under the gentler radiance of the 
bright stars. Ever and anon the auroral arch, varied with floating ban- 
ners of iris-hued light and fantastic gleams and flickerings of its ever- 
active and restless forces, flashes over the scene. As the bergs, packs, 
and floes drive before the wind or float with the current, they are ever 
assuming new appearances and presenting new combinations, demon- 
strating that activity or energy is the law of the universe. In all nature, 
inanimate as well as animate, unrest ever prevails; idleness or sloth has 
no place. Even where man attempts to pervert this law, he only ex- 
hibits his utter impotency ; the indolent are left behind, and the secret for- 
ces of nature forthwith institute a series of special activities to disen- 
cumber the earth of their presence. The icebergs, under this resistless 
law of force, will at one time present the outline of some mediaeval 
cathedral or feudal castle, and at another, a park of pyramids, mountain 



MR. BENNETT'S PROJECT. 741 

peaks, gigantic broken columns, colossal figures of men and animals, and 
in fact, the frozen counterfeit of almost everything grand or magnificent 
which man has constructed or nature produced in more favored climes. 
Again they are hurled against each other with a crash like appalling 
thunder or the roar of a thousand Krupp guns on a modern battlefield. 

Much had been done; much remained to be done. America, the 
youngest of the great nations, had contributed her quota of distinguished 
Arctic and Polar navigators, but naturally wished, if it might be, to add 
fresh laurels to those already won. In conformity with the genius of 
her free institutions — -which tend to direct the activities of government 
into their appropriate sphere of execution of the laws, while leaving to 
individual or associated enterprise of her citizens such pursuits as the love 
of fame or fortune may impel them to embrace — a new Polar expedition 
was set on foot, at the expense of one of her wealthy citizens, James 
Gordon Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald, and only son of 
the founder of the paper, and the great fortune which those very institu- 
tions had enabled him to accumulate, became its patron. A not dis- 
similar enterprise, a short time before the death of the elder Bennett, 
received the support of the Herald. It will be remembered that Henry 
M. Stanley was dispatched with 200 men and all necessary supplies in 
search of the African explorer Livingstone, in 1870, and that owing to 
the timely thoughtfulness and public spirit of the Bennetts, he was 
enabled to reach the great traveler at a critical moment, on the 10th of 
November, 1871, and supply the resources which in his enfeebled con- 
dition were absolutely necessary to his safety. In 1875 Stanley was 
again sent out by Mr. Bennett on an independent expedition to the in- 
terior of " The dark continent." 

The vessel which Mr. Bennett now set his mind on for an American 
Polar expedition had previously made an Arctic voyage in command of 
her owner, Captain, afterward Sir Allen Young. 

VOYAGE OF THE PANDORA. 

The Pandora was bought of the British Naval Department by Capt. 
Young, and specially fitted out by him for Arctic navigation. Although 



THE PANDORA. 743 

originally built exceptionally strong, as was supposed, Young — who, it 
will be remembered, had served as navigating officer with M'Clintock 
in his successful search for relics of Franklin, in 1S57-9 — wished to 
adapt her as thoroughly &s possible to her new sphere. Heavy iron 
beams and knees were put in amidships to increase her power of resist- 
ance to ice-pressure; and her hull was encased in an outer planking of 
American elm four and one-half inches thick, while her bows were clad 
with solid iron. These changes, while necessarily injuring her sailing 
qualities, were supposed to render her capable of resisting nips and 
squeezes that would crush a common-built ship like an eggshell. She 
was a bark-rigged vessel of four hundred and thirty-eight tons regis- 
ter, with steam-power which could on emergency be worked up to two 
hundred horse-power. Her officers and crew numbered thirty, and she 
was provisioned for eighteen months. "The promoters of the expedi- 
tion," says MacGahan, who accompanied it as Herald correspondent, 
"were Capt. Allen Young, on whom fell the principal burden and ex- 
pense ; Mr. James Gordon Bennett, whom I had the honor to represent ; 
Lieut. Innes Lillington, R. N., who went as second in command; and 
the late Lady Franklin. She had insisted on contributing to the ex- 
penses of the expedition, almost against Capt. Young's wishes, who felt 
by no means confident of doing anything that would entitle him to ac- 
cept her willing contribution." Lieut. Beynen accompanied her as rep- 
resentative of the Dutch navy, to gain experience in Arctic navigation, 
with a view perhaps to some future expedition to the north under the 
auspices of that government. 

On the morning of July 28, 1875, they sighted Cape Farewell, and 
found themselves surrounded by a field of ice, which drifted by them 
dangerously near, while it stretched away in the distance as far as the 
eye could reach. The near ice presented almost every imaginable ap- 
pearance — old castles with ruined towers, castellated battlements, frown- 
ing fortresses with broken loopholes; massive cathedrals with fantastic 
carvings and delicate tracings; triumphal arches with spires and pinna- 
cles as well as heavy architraves, friezes and cornices. The animal and 
vegetable kingdoms were not without their representatives. Huge 



744 AT DISCO— AT UPERNAVIK 

mushrooms, with slender stem and broad drooping tops; great masses of 
immense foliage-crowned trees; graceful swans with slender necks poised 
at ease; lions, horses, and eagles; in short, one^might fancy a resemblance 
in some ice-mass to anything he had ever seen or read of, all sparkling 
and gleaming in the bright morning sun. Treading their way labori- 
ously and cautiously through the narrow, they finally got completely 
hemmed in. They now drove straight through the floe, across a narrow 
ice-isthmus. The wind was favorable, and they were proceeding at the 
i*ate of five knots an hour. In a moment the iron-clad bows of the Pan- 
dora plunged into the obstructing ice like a battering-ram. There was 
a loud crash; the ship quivered and groaned; the masts rolled up before 
her in great blocks, which fell into the water with a loud splash and an 
answering spray, and she was securely jammed in the ice. A moment 
of awful suspense followed, but there was scarcely time to take in the 
situation when it was found that the iron prow had quite demolished the 
ice, and it only remained to squeeze through the fissure that had been 
made. The ship 'wriggled through like an eel, and then shot forward, 
free and uninjured, into the lane of open water ahead. With many sim- 
ilar experiences they worked their slow way to Irgtut, where they were 
warmly welcomed by the Danish colonists. Proceeding forward they 
soon arrived at Disco, and were again cordially welcomed by the colo- 
nists and officials at that port. On the way they had been boarded by 
some trading Esquimaux in their frail kayaks, which drew from Mac- 
Gahan the reflection, "Imagine a man getting into a canoe and paddling 
across the English Channel from Dover to Boulogne or Calais, to sell 
half a dozen trout!" Some of them had rowed fifteen or twenty miles 
to barter a little fish for coffee, biscuit, and tobacco. At Disco Mac- 
Gahan had occasion to indulge in some reflections of another kind. 
Speaking of a local belle, he says, "It was a pure delight to watch her 
little feet flitting over the ground like butterflies, or humming birds, or 
rosebuds, or anything else that is delicate, and sweet, and delightful. It 
was not dancing at all; it was flying; it was floating through the air on a 
wave of rhythm, without even so much as touching ground." 

At Upernavik they took aboard some dogs for the expedition; and 



RELICS OF ROSS AND BELCHER. 745 

learned that the Alert and Discovery, under Nares, had left there on the 
22d of July. In latitude 74 they sighted the great Greenland glacier 
of that region, extending inland seventy or eighty miles. On the 19th 
of August, forty-two days out from England, they reached Carey Islands, 
and deposited two barrels of mail matter for the Alert and Discovery, 
but failed to notice Nares' cairn. At Beechey Island they found the yacht 
Mary, abandoned in 1S51, in good condition. Northumberland House, 
erected by Belcher in 1854, as a depot for stores, had been broken into 
by polar bears. The ground was strewn with tins of preserved meats 
and vegetables, forty-pound tins of pemmican, great rolls of heavy blue 
cloth, bales of blankets and clothing, and hundreds of pairs of socks and 
mittens, resembling the wreck of some freight train, from which track 
and cars had disappeared. The marks of the wreckers were everywhere; 
they had gnawed into the barrels of salt beef, of which not a morse! was 
left behind; they had punched holes into the heavy pemmican cans, but 
were not equal to the task of emptying them of their contents. Near 
the house is the monument of Lieut. Bellot ; here also, is the tombstone 
of Sir John Franklin; three miles farther up are the graves of five sea- 
men of the Erebus, Terror, and North Star. "This Arctic graveyard 
is situated on a gravelly slope, which rises up from the little bay toward 
the foot of a high bluff, that frowns down upon it as though resenting 
the intrusion of the human dead in this lonely world. Sad enough 
looked the poor head-boards as the low-sinking sun threw its yellow rays 
athwart them, casting long shadows over the shingly slope, silent, sad and 
mournful as everything else in this dreary world." Landing on North 
Somerset, they discovered the cairn erected by Ross and M'Clintock in 
1849, with the record addressed to Franklin. 

Arriving at the entrance of Peel Strait, on the 27th of August, 
they found the way blocked by an immense ice-pack, which even the 
Pandora could not bore through, and were in danger of being imprisoned 
for an indefinite period, without a harbor, and without prospect of com- 
pensating achievement. Bearing away from this dangerous locality just 
in time to escape untoward and unprofitable detention, they arrived at 
La Roguette Island, and began to think they would perhaps reach Cali- 



746 ARRIVE AT PORTSMOUTH. 

fornia before the close of the season, by the route mapped out for Frank- 
lin — southwest from Cape Walker to Behring's Straits. Instead of the 
anticipated open water and plain sailing, they encountered an immense 
ice-field. After three days, vain search for a lead, Capt. Young re- 
linquished the hope of completing the Northwest Passage, and concluded 
to return to England. 

With high winds, heavy snowstorms and obstructing ice-packs, they 
had a rather difficult homeward voyage. On one occasion, in a moment- 
ary lifting of the snow-clouds, they saw close at hand, and as it were, 
threatening to fall upon them, a precipitous cliff, presenting a most ghost- 
ly appearance, says Young, " the horizontal strata seeming like the huge 
bars of some gigantic iron cage, and standing out from the snow-face. 
In fact, it was the skeleton of a cliff, and we appeared to be in its grasp. 
For a few minutes only we saw this apparition, and then all was again 
darkness." They barely had room to pass between this cliff and the ice-, 
pack, and after three hours of intense anxiety, a fortunate movement of 
the ice displayed a weak spot through which they hastily forced the ship, 
and thus escaped. On Sept. 10 they passed through a terrible gale, in 
which the Pandora was converted into "one huge icicle;" but they got 
safely to Carey Islands. This time they found Nares' cairn and a record 
addressed to the British Admiralty, which they conveyed home, arriving 
at Portsmouth Oct. 16, 1875, after a successful cruise of 100 days.- 



CHAPTER LXXXI. 

MR. BENNETT PURCHASES THE PANDORA EXPENSE OF THE EXPE- 
DITION THE CREW LIEUT. DE LONG'S LETTER TO THE SECRE- 
TARY OF THE NAVY HER DEPARTURE FROM SAN FRANCISCO 

BAY A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION AT OUNALASKA DE LONG 

COMMUNICATES VARIED INTELLIGENCE TO THE SECRETARY. 

Mr. Bennett purchased the Pandora of her owner, Sir Allen Young, 
in the spring of I1S7S; and she was taken by Lieuts. DeLong and Danen- 
hower, from Havre, France, by the Strait of Magellan to the United 
States navy-yard at Mare Island near San Francisco, where it was deter- 
mined "to overhaul, refit, and strengthen her." "This conclusion," says 
the Secretary of the Navy, "was precautionary merely, inasmuch as she 
had been well constructed, and was believed to possess ordinary strength." 
An inquiry from the secretary elicited the report, "that extraordi- 
nary precautions were taken to strengthen the Jeannette before she left 
San Francisco; that ten feet of solid timber were placed in her bow; that 
iron beams were introduced on each side of her boilers to strengthen her 
sides, and that she was fastened through and through with wooden hooks, 
and that her bilge was strengthened with six-inch timber, and her deck 
frame renewed wherever required. In addition to her being a well built 
vessel these improvements must have given her such capacity to resist 
the ice as few vessels that have gone into the Polar regions have had." 

A later newspaper report adds: "Aft the mizzenmast she is almost 
entirely of mahogany. Her hull is sheathed with Australian ironwood, 
four inches in thickness. She is so modeled as to rise easily from the 
water when nipped by the ice, wherein lies the chief danger to all ves- 
sels traversing polar regions. Her form is therefore as great an element 
of safety as her superior strength. Previous voyages have tested her ca- 
pacity thoroughly. Three times she was nipped in Melville Bay with 

747 



748 EXPENSE OF THE EXPEDITION. 

such force as to be raised several feet above the surface of the water, but 
she escaped without suffering the slightest damage. She was further 
strengthened against ice pressure by having ten feet of her bow filled in 
with solid dead wood, heavily bolted, just before leaving San Francisco." 

From the outset the national American character of the expedition 
was provided for. By special Act of Congress she received an Ameri- 
can register, with all the rights and privileges of a government vessel, and 
was re-named the Jeannette, in honor of Mr. Bennett's only sister. The 
Secretary of the Navy was authorized to accept her without expense to the 
government; the cost of the expedition to Mr. Bennett was estimated 
at $300,000. She was put in charge of officers of the navy — Lieut. 
Geo. W. De Long, commander; Lieut. Charles W. Chipp, executive 
officer; Lieut. John W. Danenhower, navigator; George W. Melville, 
chief engineer; and J. M. Ambler, surgeon. With these were asso- 
ciated Jerome J. Collins, meteorologist and correspondent of the Herald; 
Raymond L. Newcomb, naturalist; and William M. Dunbar, ice 
pilot. The other members of the ship's company — carpenters, machin- 
ists, and seamen — were Jas. H. Bartlett, Geo. H. Boyd, Wm. Cole, 
Adolf Dressier, Hans H. Ericksen, Carl A. Gortz, Neils Iverson, Peter 
E. Johnson, Albert G. Kuehne, Henry H. Kaach, Geo. Lauderbach, 
Herbert W. Leach, Walter Lee, Frank Manson, Wm. C. F. Nin- 
derman, Louis J. Noros, W. Sharvell, Edward Star, Alfred Sweet- 
man, Henry D. Warren, and Henry Wilson; and three Chinese, Ah 
Sam, Long Sing, and Ah Sing, as steward, cook, and cabin-boy — in all 
thirty -two persons. In selecting the crew choice was made from 1300 
applicants, no one being accepted under twenty-five, or over thirty-five, 
and care being taken that all were of average height, size, and weight, 
sound in all respects, and without tendency to consumption, of good 
character, northern born or raised, inured to cold, and accustomed to the 
sea. The seamen were to receive $25 a month, and the others in 
proportion. 

At a farewell reception tendered the officers by the Academy of Sci- 
ences of San Francisco, on the 16th of June, Commander De Long re- 
ferred briefly to the manner in which private liberality and enterprise 



DE LONG'S MESSAGE. 



749 




was combined with government assistance to send out the expedition un- 
der the best possible auspices as a national undertaking. He dwelt upon 
the fact that the present was the first attempt to reach the Pole by way 
of Behring's Strait, and on the difficulties likely to be encountered. The 
ground to be traversed was entirely new, he said; for after passing 71 ° 
they were going out into a great blank space to determine whether il 
was water, ice, or land. He deemed it better not to say at present what 
they would do, but hoped to be held in remembrance until their return, 
when a recital of what they had done would be of greater interest. 

On the 8th of July, 1S79, De 
Long wrote to the Secretary of the 
Navy — " I have the honor to inform 
you that the Jeannette, being in all 
respects ready for sea, will sail at 3 
o'clock this afternoon," on her cruise 
to the Arctic regions. I have also 
the honor to acknowledge the receipt 
of your orders of the iSth of June 
in relation to the movements of the 
Arctic Expedition under my com- 
mand; ami while I appreciate the 
grave responsibility intrusted to my 
care, I beg leave to assure you that 
I will endeavor to perform this im- 
portant duty in a manner calculated 
to reflect credit upon the ship, the navy, and the country at large. I beg 
leave to return thanks for the confidence expressed in my ability to satis- 
factorily conduct such a hazardous expedition, and I desire to place upon 
record my conviction that nothing has been left unprovided which the 
enterprise and liberality of Mr. James Gordon Bennett, and the experi- 
ence of our Arctic predecessors could suggest." 

Over 10,000 people witnessed the departure of the Jeannette; and 
10,000,000 watched with interest for the announcement of the event. 
The circumstances are graphically described by the departing journalist 




LIEUT. GEO. W. DE LONG. 



750 THE JEANNETTE DEPARTS. 

of the expedition, as follows: " The anchor is up, and the propeller is 
slowly revolving, giving the Jeannette just enough motion through the 
water to make us feel that we were off at last. The friendly waving of 
hats and handkerchiefs from the wharves, the shipping, and even from 
the distant points of vantage in San Francisco, tell us that the good peo- 
ple of the city, as well as the men of the sea, are giving us a hearty send- 
off, although we cannot hear the cheers. Our captain and first-lieutenant 
are on the bridge. The word is given. 'All hands give three cheers.' 
Up into the port-rigging scramble the crew, the steam whistle marks the 
time. ' Hurrah,' ' hurrah!' Now we are off in earnest. The yacht club 
of San Francisco, under the command of Commodore Harrison, accom- 
pany us. How gracefully these pretty crafts skim about our vessel, like 
white-winged seagulls, as she solemnly moves toward the Narrows. We 
will leave them at the bar. One of them will take off from us a lady 
whom we have all learned to respect. It is Mrs. De Long, the wife of 
our gallant captain, who is now spending with him the last sacred mo- 
ments before parting. This amiable and charming lady has been the 
life of our Jeannette family since it was organized. If we wanted to 
buy anything for any purpose, we went for advice to Mrs. De Long. 
The steamers, crowded with well-wishers, are now closing about us, as 
we wave caps and handkerchiefs to friends on board them. The Jean- 
nette plows onward in the teeth of a smart breeze. Hill tops and wharves 
in San Francisco are crowded. It is a pleasant farewell scene on the 
Jeannette. Now we are approaching the Narrows. The final leave- 
taking will soon be given in cheers, then away to the great Pacific on 
our voyage to the Arctic seas. Not a man on board has the shadow of 
a melancholy thought on his face. People remark : ' What a good- 
humored lot of fellows.' We are happy in the knowledge that millions 
bear us friendly wishes. The sky ahead looks foggy. We will make 
off the coast to avoid the prevailing nor' wester and get into fair weather 
abovit five hundred miles westward. Then our good ship will point her 
prow to Ounalaska. Now we are abreast of the fortifications. We now 
see the old flag waving high on its mast over the sti'onghold of Uncle 
Sam. We salute it. A very interesting meeting is taking place in the 




751 



752 THE LAST ADIEUS. 

cabin between Mrs. De Long, Mr. Wm. Bradford, the Arctic artist, and 
Mr. Brooks, of the Academy of Science. We discuss the future. Mrs. 
De Long is enthusiastic. She says we must succeed, and offers some 
sensible advice on the subject of temperature. 

"Puff! Bang! There's a salute from Fort Point. The barbette 
battery is belching away, and fat-looking lumps of white smoke are 
rolling down to the sea below. Our gallant friend, Major Hasbrock, of 
the fourth artillery, is on the ramparts. We hear the cheers and re- 
turn them heartily. It is a handsome compliment. Blood is thicker 
than water. The army salutes the navy. Farewell, brave boys, may 
your guns always salute friends, and terrify enemies. The yachts are 
now passing astern. As each passes she salutes with dipping flags and 
cheers. They then scud off to come round again. The little tugs feel 
the motion of the sea, and begin to put back. The people on them cheer 
vigorously, and tbe tugs blow their whistles. These scenes occur every 
few minutes as our ship passes through the crafts around her. We are 
now opposite the Cliff House and Seal Rocks. The sea is calming down, 
and we bob along pretty steadily. Captain De Long just now asked me 
to give his love to all of you. I know you will accept the offering of a 
gallant seaman, who goes out to win honor for the flag. The hour is at 
hand when we must part from our shore friends. Leavetaking is the 
duty of the moment. We shake hands with noble friends. We send 
our warmest wishes for the welfare of those we leave behind. Time's 
up. We part company with civilization for the present." 

On the voyage northward the Jeannette encountered a succession of 
head-winds, alternating with equally untoward calms, and after passing 
45 , no less unfavorable fogs. Her course was for Akoutan Pass, be- 
tween the island of that name and Ounalaska, both of the Aleutian group. 
They made land in a dense fog, on August 1st, which a party going 
ashore found to be Ougalgan Island, a formation of basaltic granite, bear- 
ing a surface deposit of scoria, and evidences of a comparatively recent 
volcanic disturbance. An active volcano was observed on the neighbor- 
ing island of Ounalaska. Passing through the Pass and rounding Cape 
Kaleghta, the Jeannette anchored at Port Iliouliouk of that island, in 



A BRIG WRECKED. 753 

latitude 53 52' by longitude 166 32'. "The local scenery," says 
Collins, " is very imposing. The great green hills, covered with patches 
of snow; the luxuriant grass on the coast, the rugged, precipitous cliffs, 
and the detached, peaked rocks are the principal features. Nearly all are 
bold headlands. There is a total absence of trees. There is a large 
variety of flowering plants common to the temperate zone, some of 
which are very pretty. This whole region is volcanic; some of the large 
harbors are evidently old craters. Part of the harbor we now lie in, 
formed by an extensive subsidence as late as 1853, has deep water in 
shore, and thirteen fathoms at the buoy. There are not many resident 
whites, the population being chiefly Aleuts and Indians from the main 
land. There is a Russian chapel and a priest in the settlement." 

From Ounalaska Commander De Long wrote as follows to the 
Secretary of the Navy: "-I have the honor to report the arrival, on Aug. 
2d, at this place of the ship under my command, and the continued 
good health of the officers and crew. I found at anchor here the United 
States revenue cutter Rush, the steamer St. Paul, and the schooner St. 
George, the last two named belonging to the Alaska Commercial Com- 
pany, of San Francisco. This letter is carried to San Francisco by the 
said steamer St. Paul. I learned upon arrival, of the wreck of the brig 
Timandra, belonging to J. C. Merrill & Co., of San Francisco, on 
Nounivak Island, about four hundred and twenty miles to the northward 
of this place. The second mate and three seamen of said brig reached 
here on the 30th of July, bringing tidings of the disaster to that vessel, 
occurring May 25. The vessel they report as being a total wreck, 
although no lives were lost, and the cargo was nearly all saved. The 
crew built a boat from a portion of the wreck, eighteen feet long and six 
feet beam and partly decked over, and the four men mentioned above, 
having volunteered to come here in search of assistance, left Nounivak 
on the 26th of July, and reached here on the 30th. The Rush sailed to- 
day to rescue the balance of the crew, eight in number. 

" The steamship St. Paul arrived from St. Paul's Island, Aug. 1, 
bringing the entire collection of furs from the Seal Islands and the 

northern settlements — about one hundred thousand skins — and will leave 

48 



754 DE LONGS COMMUNICATION. 

to-morrow morning for San Francisco. The revenue cutter Rush, dur- 
ing her visit to St. Michael's and her cruise to the northward, passed 
through Behring Strait, some twenty miles to the northward, and east- 
ward of East Cape in Siberia, without having encountered any ice what- 
soever. Supposing that Professor Nordenskiftld had already passed 
south, no communication was had by the Rush with St. Lawrence Bay. 
No communication from St. Lawrence Bay had been received at St. 
Michael's at the date of sailing of the Rush, July 23, and consequently 
there was no knowledge of the safety or movements of Professor Nor- 
denskiold's party. 

" It was my intention originally, as communicated to you in my letter 
of July 8, to stop at St. Paul's Island after leaving this place, but as the 
fur clothing, which I was to have received at that place, can be furnished 
here, I have concluded to proceed directly to St. Michael's, in Alaska, 
leaving here Aug. 6. 

" From all the intelligence received from the northward it appears 
that the last winter has been an exceptionally mild one, and that no ob- 
struction to navigation in the shape of ice has been encountered. I can 
but deplore that the necessity of loading this ship so deeply at San Fran- 
cisco has made our progress thus far so slow, owing also to head winds 
and swell, as to make it doubtful whether we shall be able or not to 
profit by the open water in the Arctic Sea in our efforts to gain a high 
latitude this season. 

"If, upon our arrival at St. Michael's, nothing has been heard of the 
party under the command of Professor Nordenskiold, I shall proceed to 
St. Lawrence Bay, in Siberia, to obtain tidings of them and shall proceed 
subsequently in accordance with the general plan delineated in my letter 
of July S. 

"I would respectfully call your attention to the fact that the charts of 
this region are very meager. The most reliable is one published by the 
Imperial Russian Hydrographic Office in 1849, which chart was fur- 
nished me in San Francisco. The prevalence of fogs and the rapidity and 
uncertainty of the prevailing tides make an approach to any of the passes 
between the Aleutian Islands hazardous in the extreme." 



CHAPTER LXXXII. 

FROM OUNALASKA TO ST. LAWRENCE BAY SOUNDINGS RELIEF 

WATCHES OFF STUART'S ISLAND THE STOCK OF DOGS 

CIVILIZED CUSTOMS A VOLCANIC REGION A HUNTING PARTY 

FROM THE JEANNETTE A RUSSIAN BATH THE FANNY A. 

HYDE A FORCED TREATY WITH THE CANINES VISITED BY 

TCHUKTCHIS DE LONG'S DISPATCH. 

The trip from Ounalaska to St. Lawrence Bay is thus described by 

Collins: " The change from the smooth water of the harbor to the rough 

sea outside was very marked, and we were scarcely outside Cape 

Kaleghta, and working on a com - se east of north toward Nounivak Island* 

than the Jeannette began her gambols again, rolling and pitching so as 

to make locomotion difficult except between the cabin table and the 

partitions. The winds being favorable from the southward, the ship, 

under full steam and sail, rather astonished us by making five and six 

knots steadily for the first day out. But as the second day dawned with 

half a gale blowing, the Jeannette in-creased her speed, so that we actually 

made 173 mile*s in twenty-four hours, something that gave us much cause 

for rejoicing. The coal we got at Ounalaska, although it burned like 

chaff, made steam quickly, and our engines, thoroughly overhauled by 

Mr. Melville while in port, worked well. We congratulated ourselves, 

therefore, on a probable quick run to St. Michael's, and nothing seemed 

to threaten delay but the possible non-arrival of our supply schooner, the 

Fannie A. Hyde, of San Francisco. But in these latitudes uncertain 

winds are the rule during the summer time, so that we had to come down 

on the third day to our ordinary speed of four knots, which we carried 

into, this port, making the run in six days exactly from Cape Kaleghta 

to Stuart's Island, Norton's Sound. 

" The importance of determining the character of the bottom as we 

755 



756 



DAILY OBSERVATIONS. 



proceeded, rendered a daily stop necessary for sounding. We also 
dredged every day except when the water was too rough. Soundings- 
ran from eighty to five fathoms as we came north on a bottom composed 
of fine gray sand and ooze, covered with moss-like vegetation which was 
inhabited by an extraordinary variety of marine life. We also used the 
deep sea cups and thermometers for determining the densities and tem- 
peratures at various depths. These I found to work very well, consider- 
ing that our men are as yet a little awkward in handling the lines, but 
are improving very rapidly. Our hourly meteorological observations are 
made each day with the utmost 



regularity. We have divided up 
the time into watches, and the 
work goes on steadily. For 
instance, I begin ;it noon and stand 
watch (meteorologically speaking) 
until 6 p. m. I am then relieved 
by Mr. Chipp, first lieutenant, who 
observes at 7 and 8; then Dr. 
Ambler at 9, 10, 11, and midnight. 
My turn comes again, so I observe 
at 1, 2, 3 and 4 A. M., and am re- 
lieved by Mr. Danenhower, who 
takes 5 and 6 A. M. At 7 and 8 
Mr. Chipp observes, and from nine 
to noon inclusive, Dr. Ambler. 




JEROME J. COLLINS. 



Our hours of duty per day in making observations are therefore, Mr. 
Chipp, four hours, Mr. Danenhower, who is navigator, two hours; Dr. 
Ambler eight hours, and myself ten hours. Besides this I keep the regu- 
lar meteorological record and note sea temperatures and densities, and 
make up my journal; so that yon may see there is no time for doing 
nothing left for us on board. 

"On the evening of the nth we sighted land on the starboard beam 
— that is to say to the eastward — and by continuous sounding determined 
our locality to be off Stuart's Island, in Norton Sound. The land was 



THE STOCK OF DOGS. 757 

low, and discernible only by a slight rise or hill which showed above the 
horizon. We steamed at a very moderate speed all night, and by ten A. 
m. on the 1 2th were at anchor opposite the little settlement and block- 
house known as Michaelovskoi by the Russians, and as St. Michael's by 
the Americans. We were soon after boarded by Mr. Neumann, the 
Alaska Commercial Company's agent, and offered the hospitalities of the 
place, with every addition to our supplies which the company's stores 
would afford. Going ashore soon after I found the ' fort,' a curious 
collection of wooden buildings, forming a small quadrangle, on the cor- 
ners of which are little block houses, which were armed with small can- 
non during the Russian possession of Alaska, but which at present are of 
no special value for defense. Within the inclosure, and fronting inward, 
are the storehouses and dwellings. The latter are occupied by Mr. Neu- 
mann, the company's agent, and Mr. Nelson, an employe of the Smith- 
sonian Institution and observer of the United States Signal Service, a 
few Russian workmen, and some Indians who work about the fort. The 
quarters of the agent and the Smithsonian collector are plainly but com- 
fortably furnished, and it is clear that these gentlemen are philosophers 
enough to content themselves pretty well with their isolated position. 

"All our dogs were at St. Michael's when we arrived. They are a fine- 
looking lot of animals, but inclined for a general row at the shortest no- 
tice. They loll around the inclosure or sit out on the rocks near the 
fort, and occasionally set up a long, peculiar howl that sounds at night 
like a summons of Satan to his satraps for a general council. At feeding 
time the dogs get their daily allowance of dry fish, and while that is be- 
ing thrown to them the sounds of battle rise and float on the breeze. On 
general principles the Esquimaux dogs will fight, and it is often a matter 
of wonder what the row is about. The dogs will be walking or lying 
about quietly, when suddenly one will make a rush at another, and then 
the whole pack pitches in, every dog for himself. In these remarkable 
combats nine of the dogs originally provided for us by the Alaska 
Commercial Company have been killed by their fellow canines. We 
are getting some recruits now and expect to leave here with about forty- 
five srood dosrs on board. Of course we will have native drivers with us 



758 EVIL SPIRITS. 

to manage these unruly brutes, and I believe arrangements are now be- 
ing made with Esquimaux hunters to act in that capacity. The stare- 
house of the Alaska Company here is filled with a collection of trade 
goods similar to that we found at Ounalaska, except that the assortment 
is not so varied, nor the quantity as great. The furs brought to the post 
are from the lower Yukon River region and the adjacent coasts. The In- 
dians come in by villages, and under the general control of a chief, who 
directs the negotiations. In this way, fox, bear, sable, wolf and squirrel 
skins are procured in exchange for coffee, sugar, tobacco, powder, lead 
(shot and bullets), guns (muzzle-loading rifles and shot-guns), clothing 
and notions. Whalebones for sledge-runners are sometimes bought, but 
these come from the northern or Siberian coasts, and are regarded as 
valuable. Dogs are purchased, as in the present instance for us, for guns, 
the average price of a good dog being about $7 in goods. Extra good 
dogs are worth as much as $15, but that is a top price, and is sometimes 
given for a highly trained team-leader. 

"As soon as the natives complete their trade they return to their vil- 
lages to enjoy their newly acquired property, and the little fort is dull 
again until another party arrives from the interior. The experience of 
the agent and white residents here is a favorable one as regards the na- 
tives, but sometimes the latter become restless and inclined for war. Last 
year a chief residing about sixty miles to the northward made repeated 
threats to come in and clean out St. Michael's. The place was put in a 
fair state of defense by Mr. Neumann, and preparations were made to give 
the coming warriors a right hospitable reception at the rifle's muzzle. 
But — they never came. The warlike chief purchased two baiTels of 
whiskey from some traders and went on an unusually heavy spree, which 
resulted in his having his head split open with an axe by his brother-in- 
law, a similar fate overtaking his son. Since this domestic tragedy oc- 
curred the people of the fort have heard no more threats from up the 
coast, and ' Peace, gentle peace,' prevails. The surviving relatives of 
the chief, associating the valiant man's death with the proprietorship of 
two barrels of whiskey, wisely came to the conclusion that the whiskey 
was the cause of the violent taking off, so they knocked in the heads of the 



A HUNTING-PART2'. 759 

barrels, and let the evil spirits run. This precaution probably prevented 
the decimation of the tribe. 

" The country surrounding the post is wholly volcanic. Every emi- 
nence in sight is the cone of an extinct volcano. The rocks are lava, 
which, in cooling, has split up into a rude columnar structure, and show 
in some places the evidences of pressure in the shape of curlings of the 
surface and other distortions. The exposed surfaces and those of frac- 
tures exhibit alike the honeycombing caused during cooling. The sand of 
the beach is composed of pulverized lava, and this material enters largely 
into the sand found off the coast from Ounalaska northward. Quite close 
to the settlement there is a crater which now forms -the basin of a pretty 
lake. I have received specimens of lava from different points inland and 
along the shore, which will go to my geological collection. Immense 
quantities of driftwood may be seen along the shore of Norton Sound, 
and on the island beaches. This wood comes chiefly from the Yukon 
River, which empties into the Behring Sea by several mouths. As the 
Yukon drains a great timber country, and is navigable for over 1,800 
miles from its mouth, the quantity of drift brought down and carried in- 
to the bays and sounds to the northward and eastward, is immense. The 
natives haul out the larger pieces and pile them up out of reach of the 
tide until they dry sufficiently for fuel. Such piles can be seen at inter- 
vals of a few hundred yards all around this great bay. The surface soil 
overlying the lava formation is mostly peat, and bears a close resem- 
blance to peat lands elsewhere, except in the beauty and variety of vege- 
tation that clothes the whole country. There are no trees, but the low 
shrubs, grasses, flowering plants and mosses are very fine, especially the 
latter, which vary more in color than I have seen in any other place. 

A HUNTING PARTY FROM THE JEANNETTE. 

' " Up the sound which divides St. Michael's Island from the mainland 
the shores are chiefly salt marsh tracts, dotted with ponds, which are the 
breeding places of wild ducks and geese, snipe, and other water birds. 
To get something for the larder by way of change from the canned 
meat a party of us started up the 'Crooked Canal,' as it is called, in the 



7G0 A PERILOUS POSITION. 

steam cutter. We carried a tent and provisions for two days, besides our 
guns and ammunition, blankets, etc. Our luck among the wildfowls 
proved indifferent, the birds being scared off by the steam escape from 
our cutter. We secured, however, about fifteen ducks and some thirty 
snipes. An Indian hunter acted as guide and pilot, but the man was in 
poor health and did not prove equal to any of us whites in endurance of 
fatigue. We camped for the night on the marsh edge and under a heavy 
rainfall, which soaked the ground and made us about as uncomfortable a 
lot of sportsmen as ever huddled together under canvas. Next morn- 
ing the weather continued bad, and the Indian being used up with an at- 
tack of ague, we started back to the ship. In crossing the bar in face of 
a heavy sea the cutter took water so rapidly that we came near being 
swamped, and reached the ship after a long and most fatiguing struggle 
for life. We had all removed our outer clothing and boots preparatory 
for a swim, and when we got on board the Jeannette, worn out, hungry 
and wet, I can assure you the cabin fire and a hot breakfast were thor- 
oughly enjoyed by the party. I must say that to the pluck and skill of 
Mr. Melville, the chief engineer, who had charge of the running of the 
cutter's engine, and to Mr. Dunbar, the ice pilot, who steered us, are due 
the safety of the whole party. Our signals of distress were misunder- 
stood on the ship, and it was not until we were within a hundred }'ards 
of her, with our cutter half full of water and her boiler fire extinguished 
that a boat was lowered to rescue us. The party thus imperiled con- 
sisted of Mr. Melville, Mr. Dunbar, Dr. Ambler, myself, and our Indian 
hunter. To show the quickness of perception of the natives on shore I 
may mention that while we were struggling with the sea, and working 
to keep the boat afloat, the natives recognized our position and at once 
reported it at the fort. The ship was a mile nearer to us than the native 
village, yet no one on board seemed to understand the meaning of the 
jacket hoisted on a boat-hook, which Dr. Ambler was waving for nearly 
an hour before any stir was made to lower a boat. 

" Our shallow bay has afforded us a fair supply of excellent fish, in- 
cluding some superb salmon. We have a net set, and daily get a good 
number of flounders and other small fish, besides an occasional beauty 



A RUSSIAN BATH. 7iil 

with delicate pink flesh. None but those who have not tasted these del- 
icacies for a month or so can appreciate the flavor of broiled flounder or 
salmon, pointed by appetite, and washed down with big cups of tea. I 
suppose an epicure would prefer a more refined arrangement of eatables 
and drinkables, but on this cruise such exacting persons would be miser- 
able. We eat and drink things as they come, being thankful the while 
for such small favors as the Lord sends in the way of a change of dishes. 
After our adventure in the steam cutter we enjoyed the luxury of a gen- 
uine Russian bath at the fort. The bathhouse is a long structure fitted 
with two chambers, the outer and inner. In the latter is a stove-like 
fireplace with a receptacle for hot stones, which are placed there after 
being raised to a red heat. Then the smoke hole is closed, the skin- 
lined door made fast, and some water is thrown on the hot stones. Phew ! 
what a temperature is raised. The blood almost boils in the veins, 
and one gasps for breath, but the pores are open, and the peculiar pro- 
cess of the Russian bath is gone through by the bather until human na- 
ture can stand no more. Then, sousing himself well in water, he rushes 
out into the antechamber, or outer room, where he is rubbed down, 
cooled off, and allowed to dress. The pleasant feeling experienced after 
bathing is certainly purchased by much broiling and stewing, but the 
beneficial effects on the system, when the bath is cautiously used, are 
very marked. Let me not forget the cigar and glass of Russian tea af- 
ter bathing. These are absolutely necessary to true enjoyment. Al- 
though the bathhouse at St. Nicholas is not the most inviting looking 
place in the world, it serves its purpose admirably, showing that the value 
of things must not be judged by appearances. 

"On the 1 8th our long-expected supply schooner, the Fanny A. 
Hyde of San Francisco, laden with coals and extra stores, was sighted 
oft' Stuart's Island, making for our anchorage. Never was a more wel- 
come object presented to impatient mariners than the said schooner when 
she rounded the point of St. Michael's Island in full view of our ship. 
By noon she was alongside, and her captain in our cabin, relating the 
causes of his delay in arriving. Calms, fogs, etc., formed reasonable ex- 
cuses for the slow voyage of forty-one days from San Francisco made by 



762 A FORCED TREATY WITH CANINES. 

one of the fastest schooners running out of that port. .Similar causes de- 
tained us, although we had steam to propel us. But the Fanny A. Hyde 
had come at last, and that meant we might go on our way rejoicing in a 
few days, and after the coals and stores have been transferred to our 
bunkers and holds. We need the anthracite coal that has just come very 
much, as our present stock of soft coal would not last us any time, should 
we need to use it. To save delay we take a heavy deck-load of coal, as 
well as the quantity in our well packed bunkers, and the Jeannette is 
again laden down to her doubling, as deep as she was when leaving San 
Francisco. The schooner goes with us to St. Lawrence Bay, in Eastern 
Siberia, and about thirty miles south of East Cape. 

" We have our clogs on board, about forty in number. They raise a 
tremendous row about every fifteen minutes, space on our crowded deck 
alone governing the number of combatants engaged. I think if we 
could give these unruly brutes room enough to fight, the battle would 
continue until the last pair died, chewing each other's throats. This dog 
war illustrates very amusingly the value of armed intervention at the 
right moment. When the bitterness of the combat reaches its height 
one of our men interferes with a rope's end, and with the utmost impar- 
tiality lays about him vigorously. A suspension of canine hostilities is 
the immediate, but, I regret to say, temporary result. The dogs make 
remarks and confer in a high key and retire for consultation, but like the 
conferences at Constantinople these interchanges of diplomatic confiden- 
ces only seem to make matters worse in some other quarter of the deck, 
and the din of the battle is heard soon again. Still the Bismarckian 
rope's end works wonders, even though it enforces a Treaty of Ver- 
sailles fifteen minutes after the Treaty of Prague has been ratified by the 
dog powers, and ominously swings like a Treaty of Berlin over the 
Esquimaux dogs. 

" We have with us for the voyage north two natives from Norton 
Sound, or the St. Michael's district. One of these, Alexai, as he is 
called, speaks a little English, and is both intelligent and useful as a dog- 
driver and hunter; Aniguin, the other and younger native, is a fine-look- 
ing fellow, with a broad, boyish face, and pleasant expression. He speaks 



MR. AND MRS. ALEXAI. 763 

no English, but gets along very well with the aid of his comrade as an 
interpreter. The Captain has entered into a regular agreement with 
these adventurous savages, by which he binds himself tp bring them 
back, to support the wife of Alexai and the mother of Aniguin during 
the absence of the husband and son, to pay them regular monthly wages, 
and to give Alexai a Winchester rifle and a certain quantity of fixed 
ammunition when dismissing him from the service of the Jeannette. As 
these Indians are good, clever fellows, and important to us because of 
their familiarity with dog matters, I think we have them on very reason- 
able terms, Mrs. Alexai, a chubby-faced, shy, but good-humored look- 
ing young female, came on board to see her husband off on his long 
cruise. She behaved with great propriety under the circumstances, and, 
although an Esquimaux, did not show any inclination to blubber at part- 
ing with the one to whom she was sealed for life. Alexai behaved also 
with stoicism tempered by affection for his spouse. They sat together 
hand in hand on some bags of potatoes near the cabin door, and probably 
exchanged vows of eternal fidelity. I was greatly touched, and got up 
on the bridge with my sketch block, on which I outlined their figures. 
I had to take them as they sat, with backs toward me, for Mrs. Alexai 
was too modest to face the pencil. Before leaving the ship Capt. De 
Long gave the bereaved one a cup and saucer with gilt letters on it. She 
seemed overpowered with emotion at the possession of such unique 
treasures, and at once hid them in the ample folds, or rather stowage 
places, of her fur dress. 

" As we left the Bay of St. Michael's on the evening of the 21st the 
guns at the fort and at the agency of the Western Fur and Trading 
Company across the bay, belched forth a parting salute. The sea was as 
smooth as glass, and the sky almost perfectly clear. Such weather at this 
season is not uncommon in Norton Sound, but not infrequently precedes 
a hard northern blow. This we got on the 23d, when we cleared Sledge 
Island and commenced to cross the waters of the straits. It was my 
watch (meteorological) from 1 A. M. to 4 a. m., and I noticed the 
smooth sea beginning to undulate heavily from the northward. This 
indicated at once a disturbance of the weather to the north and west.- 



764 MORE TCHUKTCHIS. 

Later in the day the sea rose to a very great height, washing our decks 
and carrying away some of our light works. The forecastle got well 
drenched, the bridge stove by a sea, and the captain's window broken in 
and his room flooded, by another. On deck we were part of the time 
knee deep in water. The wind howled for hours and sharply cut off the 
wave crests, so that the spray flew like small shot across the decks. The 
ship was hove to and we rode out the gale pretty well, considering that 
the Jeannette had all she could carry on board. As the sea moderated 
we got under way again and arrived here on the 25th, experiencing very 
fine weather when entering the harbor. Skin boats (baidaras) filled 
with dirty looking, skin-dressed natives of the Tchuktchi tribe, came 
alongside. They thought we were a trader. From these we learned 
about Prof. Nordenskiold what I sent you by telegraph from San 

Francisco. I need not repeat here what I then told you, as it was sub- 

1 

stantially as the native chief told the Captain in my presence. Our 
schooner arrived yesterday (26th) with the balance of the coal which we 
could not take at St. Michael's. The Captain also desired to have a 
means of sending the very latest news regarding our movements and 
what we could learn about Prof. Nordenskiold. All before us now 
is uncertainty, because our movements will be governed by circumstances 
over which we can have no control. If, as I telegraphed, the search for 
Nordenskiold is now needless, we will try and reach Wrangell Land and 
find a winter harbor on that new land, on which, we believe, the white 
man has not yet put his foot. At the worst we may winter in Siberia 
and ' go for' the Wrangell Land mystery next spring. I am in great 
hopes we will reach there this season. We are amply supplied with fur 
clothing and provisions, so that we can feed and keep warm in any event 
for some time. Our dogs will enable us to make explorations to con- 
siderable distances from the ship, and determine the character of the 
country. Feeling that we have the sympathy of all we left at home, we 
go north, trusting in God's protection and our good fortune. Farewell." 
The following is Commander DeLong's dispatch of the 27th of 
August, from St. Lawrence Bay, to the Secretary of the Navy at Wash- 
ington: "Arrived 25th; leave for Serdze Kamen to-night. All well. 



DE LONG'S DISPATCH. 765 

Natives report Nordenskiold passed south three months ago, stopping 
here one day, having wintered at Kolyutchin Bay. Mentioned one offi- 
cer, a Russian, who spoke the native language, as named ' Charpish,' 
possibly Lieut. Nordquist, of the Russian navy, accompanying Nordens- 
kiold, who said the ship was going home. Leave here to verify account 
along the coast. Hope to reach Wrangell Land this season." To the 
two native hunters and dog-drivers, who evinced some misgivings about 
the voyage to the unexplored north, DeLong said that himself and the 
ship's company were not bent on throwing their lives away, and that 
they would be entirely safe, as far as human energy and foresight could 
preserve them. He was evidently satisfied with the completeness of his 
outfit, and the ample provision which had been made for all their wants, 
as well as for a successful exploration of " the great blank space beyond 
the 71st parallel." 




CHAPTER LXXXIII. 

Ill Ji JEANNETTE ENTERS THE ARCTIC ARRIVES AT KOLYUTCHIN 

BAY FIRST BEAR AND SEAL KILLED THE JEANNETTE FIRMLY 

FROZEN IN — DANENHOWER'S STATEMENT THE WINTER NIGHT 

BEGINS HERALD ISLAND IN SIGHT THE JEANNETTE HELP- 
LESS AND CRIPPLED CONJECTURES AS TO THE JEANNETTE's 

FATE CONTINUED APPREHENSION. 

The ship's company was now thirty-three, one of the Chinese having 
been permitted to abandon the expedition at St. Michael's, because of 
ill health, while, as has been stated, two Indians had been added to the 
crew. With the whole company in good health and excellent spirits, 
the Jeannette steamed away from St. Lawrence Bay on the eve- 
ning of the 27th, at 7:30, and passing East Cape on the 28th, at 
3 p. m., reached Cape Serdze Kamen, that is, Stone Heart — so called 
from a large heart-shaped rock off the cape — on the 29th, at 5 p. m. Here 
De Long deposited papers and a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, which 
came to hand thirteen months later, in this letter, after detailing their 
departure and arrival, as above, and the confirmation of the opinion al- 
ready formed that the Swedish Expedition had passed safely south, he 
adds, " The officers and men under my command are all well, and we 
expect to sail to-night for Wrang'ell Land via Kolyutchin." It was now 
obvious that the Vega was the vessel reported by the natives of St. Law- 
rence Bay as having been seen in the outer haven or roadstead " for one 
day three months before " — -in reality, for a few hours, about thirty-seven 
days before. The Jeannette arrived at Kolyutchin Bay on the 31st, and 
it now only remained for her commander to push forward before the 
close of the season, to such winter quarters for his vessel as fortune 
might supply on Herald Island or Wrangell Land, discovered or redis- 
covered by Capt. Kellett, in 1849. Accordingly they pushed northwest 

766 



FIRST BEAR AND SEAL KILLED. 767 

at 4 p. m. the same day. After reaching Serdze Kamen, they had sev- 
eral interviews with the natives, some of the officers making two trips 
ashore, and some of the Tchuktchis getting to the Jeannette in their 
skin-boats. Among other things the winter quarters of the Vega were 
pointed out, and they found the natives " hospitable, stalwart and hand- 
some," warmly clad and seemingly contented, though the visitors had 
traversed a barren, forbidding tundra, to reach them. 

On the 3d of September the Jeannette was seen about six miles 
ahead by the whaler Sea Breeze, in about 70 52' by 174 , in an open 
channel — -between an eastern floe and a western pack, with another pack 
to the north, making west-northwest for Herald Island or Wrangell's Land, 
but a few miles nearer southeast of the latter than the former. On the 
forenoon of the 3d she was seen several times — whenever the fog lifted — 
by the same bark, which was following in her track, at a distance now 
of nine or ten miles. "On the afternoon of the 4th," says Capt. Barnes 
of the Sea Breeze, " it cleared up nicely, with nothing in sight but ice 
far and near." This was the last seen of the Jeannette by any one out- 
side of her own company. 

It was, however, afterward ascertained that they sighted Kolyutchin 
Island on the 1st of September, and Herald Island on the 4th. They 
saw the whaler already referred to, and stopped engines in the hope 
that she would approach, exchange courtesies, and take home their mail. 
While lying to they killed their first bear and seal on an ice-floe. On 
the 6th, with Commander DeLong aloft in the crow's-nest, on 1 the look- 
out, she entered a lane which he supposed was the continuation of the 
lead between the east and west packs they had been following, and 
which he hoped might be followed in safety into one of the many poly- 
nias or expanses of open water, so often referred to by Russian navi- 
gators and sledge-explorers in those regions. Through the rapidly- 
forming new ice the iron prow of the Jeannette rammed her slow 
way until 4 in the afternoon, when she became immovable. All 
efforts to push forward proved vain, and no lane presenting itself on 
either hand, they were compelled to desist, and await the chances 
of the morning. Her fires were only banked, so as to be ready to push 



768 THE JEANNETTE FROZEN IN. 

forward at a moment's notice. The night proved exceptionally cold 
for even those high latitudes, and the new ice could be almost seen 
to grow thick and strong as they helplessly looked on. 

On the morning of the 7th the Jeannette was found to be firmly 
frozen in. A full examination showed that she was surrounded- by an 
accumulation of ice-floes frozen together by the new ice, and extending 
perhaps four miles. The old ice was in pieces ranging from ten square 
yards to several acres, with narrow veins of water now frozen over 
with new ice. In that one unlucky night she had involuntarily formed 
a nucleus around which the movingf floes were arrested long - enoueh 
to be welded into one solid mass by their mutual impact, the new ice 
serving as an effective solder. Herald Island was in sight at a distance 
of twenty-one miles; but when an attempt was made by Chipp, Dun- 
bar, Melville and Alexai, to effect a landing there on the 13th, it proved 
inaccessible because of open water within six miles of land. The next 
day the party returned, it being deemed inadvisable to prolong the effort, 
necessarily attended with much danger, for the barren achievement of 
landing on the island while there was no chance of working the ship 
thither into harbor. There was the further risk that such exploring 
party might be left behind, as the vessel was entirely uncontrollable, 
and might be carried away with her ice-dock before their return. Drift- 
ing northwestward, they sighted Wrangell Land to the south, on the 
2 1st of October, and indeed saw it frequently afterward, to the south and 
west, and on the 28th and 29th of October were so near that they could 
distinguish some of its mountains and glaciers, which eventually grew to 
be like familiar acquaintances, as they remained so long beset in those 
waters. The whole month was very quiet, the nights being very clear 
and beautiful. Even in September there were no equinoctial gales as 
anticipated. 

"About the 6th of November," says Danenhower, "the ice began to 
break ujd. We had previously observed considerable agitation about the 
full and change of the moon, and attributed it to tidal action. This was 
observed particularly when we were between Herald Island and Wran- 
gell Land, and when the water was shoaled — that is, about fifteen fath- 



DAN EN HO WER "S ST A TEMENT. 



769 



oms — the ice began to break round the ship, and a regular stream of 
broken masses gradually encroached upon us. From- aloft the floe that 
had appeared so uniform a few weeks before, was now tumbled about, and 
in a state of greater confusion than an old Turkish graveyard. Tracks 
began to radiate from the ship, and the noise and vibration of distant 
ramming were terrific, making even the dogs whine. Nov. 23 was a 
calm, starlight night. I got good star observations,, with Melville mark- 
ing time, at 1 1 p. m. I was working them up when a crack was heard, 
and we found that the floe had split and that the ice on the port side had 

drifted off, leaving the ship lying in 
a half cradle on her starboard bilge. 
The water looked smooth and beau- 
tiful, and there was no noise save 
that of four dogs which had drifted 
off with the port ice. We had pre- 
viously taken in the observatory 
and had prepared for such an ac- 
cident, but on the starboard side the 
steam cutter and the men's outhouse 
had been left. We got the steam 
cutter aboard, but left the outhouse 
standing. This was Novo 23=" 

The vessel was at all times in 
more or less imminent danger of 
lieut. joh.m w. danenhowek. being crushed by some violent 

movement in the surrounding ice, which drove her hither and thither 
under the changing pressure of winds and currents. Engineer Sbock's 
heavy truss, with which she had been strengthened at Mare's Island, 
alone saved her from being crushed on the 21st. After a week of 
specially severe nipping and squeezing, she was forced into open water 
on the 25th, and drifted forty miles without control until evening, when 
she was made fast to a solid piece of floe, where she was soon again 
firmly beset. 

" Several gales," continues Danenhower, "the heaviest being about 
49 




770 THE WINTER NIGHT BEGINS. 

fifty miles an hour, occurred in the fall of 1879. The long night com- 
menced about the 10th of November and lasted till the 25th of January, 
1880. On November 1 the winter routine commenced. At seven, all 
hands were called up, and fires started in the galleys; at nine, breakfast; 
from eleven to one guns given to all hands to hunt, and for exercise on 
the ice; at 3 p. m. dinner, then galley fires put out to save coal; between 
seven and eight, tea, made from the Baxter boiler, which was used con- 
stantly to condense water, we having found that the floe-ice was too salt 
for use, and the doctor insisted on using condensed water. The boiler 
was originally intended for the electric light, but it was found that we 
could not afford to run the light, so we used the coal in condensing 
water. Twenty-five pounds of coal per day was allowed for heating 
the cabin, twenty-five pounds for the forecastle, and ninety pounds for 
the ship's galley for cooking purposes." 

From the date of imprisonment, the story of the ship and her com- 
pany is one uniform record of her stout resistance, with some variation in 
incidents, and of their good conduct and sustained courage. The dis- 
cipline was excellent, there being but one instance of punishment, for 
thoughtless profanity, during the whole period of detention. Officers 
and crew were well quartered and fully provisioned, and the general 
health was unimpaired. There was a formal medical examination on 
the first of every month. With a school of navigation and occasional 
amateur theatricals, besides the routine duties and the special labors here- 
after mentioned, the weary days sped on with greater cheerfulness and 
contentment than could have been expected. The commander was care- 
ful to have religious services every Sunday, it being now verv generally 
admitted that such devotional exercises possess a very specific value to 
persons so circumstanced. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's 
were observed aboard the Jeannette with subdued festivity befitting her 
perilous position. Unfortunately the opening year brought them only 
fresh perils. Nips and squeezes from the besetting ice became again 
frequent and severe, and early in January, 18S0, the fore-foot of the ves- 
sel was violently wrenched out of place. On Jan. 19, after several days' 
anxiety from the crushing strain of the ice on the ship, and the noise 



NEAR WRANGELL LAND. 771 

made by the rising and bursting of the floe, it was finally discovered that 
the ship, after receiving several severe shocks, was leaking badly. 
Steam was got on the engine boilers, and both steam and hand pumps 
were worked day and night until the ship was freed from water. Stores 
were hoisted out of the hold and all preparations made to make good the 
retreat to Wrangell Land if forced to abandon the ship. They contin- 
ued to drift northwest, and steam was necessary to pump the ship until 
May 18, 18S0. 

On the 1st of February they were distant about fifty miles from 
Wrangell Land. "About the middle of Februai-y we were found to be 
about fifty miles from the place where we had entered, and Herald 
Island was said to have been in sight during one day. During these five 
months we had drifted over an immense area, approaching and receding 
from the iSoth meridian, but I do not think we crossed it at that time. 
We continued to drift in this uncertain manner. We noticed that the 
ship always took up a rapid drift with southeast winds and a slow drift 
with northeast winds, owing, doubtless, to Wrangell Island being under 
our lee. Southwest winds were not frequent." On the 2 2d thev dressed 
the ship in honor of the day, with hearts full of tender memories of home 
and kindred as well as the hallowed associations appertaining to the fes- 
tival. The coldest weather experienced during the whole period of de- 
tention occurred in this month, the thermometer sinking on one occasion 
to 58 ° below zero. In March they lost sight of land, with the Jeannette 
helpless and crippled, still aimlessly drifting with the uncertain and dan- 
gerous pack. April followed without change. In the meantime a water- 
tight bulkhead had been built into the forward part of the ship, and the 
spaces between the ship's frames filled in with meal, tallow, ashes and 
oakum, to keep out the water. "March and April, 1SS0," says Dan- 
enhower, "were passed quietly, and we were surprised at not having any 
March gales. The geese and wild fowls that some of us expected to see 
on their spring migration did not put in an appearance. One poor eider 
duck fell exhausted near the ship, and one of our sportsmen shot at it, 
and after administering chloroform it succumbed. There were some 
birds seen later in the season moving to the westward, but they were not 



772 CONJECTURES AS TO THE SHIP'S FATE. 

numerous. A great many mussel shells and quantities of mud were 
often found on the ice, which indicated that it had been in contact with 
land or shoals. Our hunters ranged far and wide and often brought in 
small pieces of wood — on one occasion a codfish head, and on another 
some stuff that was very much like whale blubber, all of which had 
been found on the ice." Early in May, under the influence of gentle 
south and southeast winds they drifted steadily to the northwest. After 
May 1 8, 1S80, the water was pumped out night and day by hand pump or 
windmill pump until the ship was destroyed. In June the snow melted 
from the surface of the floe, but it would have required a cargo of torpe- 
does to set the ship free, so firmly was she embedded. The birthday of the 
nation was duly celebrated \>y the usual display of bunting, the vessel being 
gaily decorated in her holiday attire, and by a festive entertainment for offi- 
cers and men. The thoughts of home, which they had now abundant 
reason to apprehend they might never see again, must have mingled pain- 
fully or been no less painfully thrust aside, so as not to mar the current of 
their transient merriment. For about fifteen days in July the weather 
was very bright and pleasant; but the latter part of July and the whole 
of August were very bad, being raw, foggy, and unhealthy. After a 
short release from her immediate ice-envelope in the height of summer, 
the Jeannette, which had in the meantime drifted far to the northwest of 
Wrangell Land, became again firmly embended in ice eight feet thick, 
on the 6th of September, just one week before the relief ship Corwin 
relinquished the search for her on the east side, as related in the next 
chapter. 

Meanwhile, conjecture as to her fate had become rife at home. In- 
deed, the public alarm developed early, one might say prematurely. It 
was understood theoretically, that the vessel had got beyond the channels 
of regular, or even occasional communication; but even this did not pre- 
vent a sort of instinctive feeling of apprehension, which manifested itself 
within a few months after her disappearance. Attempts were made by 
press and platform to allay the public alarm, by showing its unreasonable- 
ness, and drawing attention to the fact that this was exactly what had 
been anticipated. " No news is good news," was repeated again and 



CONTINUED APPREHENSION. 



77:! 



again, showing, as was claimed, that the Jeannette had got where she 
expected to go, into winter quarters on Wrangell Land, and had not 
been driven back to Siberia, or through Behring's Strait. 

It must be confessed that the reasoning was faultless, and was not 
without effect. But when the whaling fleet of 1S79 had returned later 
than usual, and brought no word, and when it was further learned that 
two of their number, the Mount Wollaston and Vigilant were missing, 
not having been seen later than Oct. 10, and that too in the same 
region in which the Jeannette had last been seen, the public mind be- 
came perceptibly more disturbed. It was apprehended that a like mis- 
fortune had befallen the three, and that they had all miserably perished 
in the ice. The winter passed uneasily in this regard; and in the spring 
petitions were forwarded to the naval authorities asking that a relief ex- 
pedition be sent forward in search of the missing ships. Appeals were 
also made to Congress by the Geographical Society; and some of the 
more prominent universities urged immediate attention, as delayed expe- 
ditions would be very likely to prove of no value. 




CHAPTER LXXXIV. 

JEANNETTE RELIEF EXPEDITIONS IN l88o THE COR WIN CAPT. 

HOOPER AT OUNALASKA AN IMPENETRABLE WALI A FRIGHT- 
FUL SCENE OF DESOLATION A SHIP APPREHENDED THE LOTILA 

A WRECK THE CORWIN SIGHTS WRANGELL LAND THE 

ENGLISH RELIEF YACHT EIRA FAILURE OF THE EXPEDITION 

SECOND AMERICAN RELIEF EXPEDITION, THE GULNARE AN 

ADVERSE REPORT REFITTED AND MANNED A DISASTROUS 

DELAY FURTHER HINDERED BY THE ELEMENTS AN ABORTIVE 

EFFORT. 

Early in April, 1880, the steam revenue-cutter Thomas Corwin, was 
ordered from Astoria, Oregon, into dry-dock at San Francisco to be re- 
paired and strengthened before setting out in search of the Jeannette and 
the missing whalers. She was sheathed with oak plank an inch thick, and 
was furnished with an adjustable ice-breaker made of boiler-iron. A 
new steam windlass was put in, all her machinery was thoroughly 
overhauled and renewed. The Corwin was built at Albina, Oregon, in 
1S76, of two hundred and twenty-seven tons Custom House measurement, 
one hundred and forty-five feet long, twenty-four feet beam, and eleven 
feet depth of hold. She was constructed entirely of Oregon fir, copper 
fastened, and unusually strong. Capt. John W. White, one of the most 
experienced officers in the Marine Revenue cutter service, superintended 
her construction, and for once, at least, the government got the vessel 
that was ordered, without "a steal." She is a beautiful craft, and with 
steam up she glides through the water "like a thing of life." Her pro- 
pelling power is a vertical inverted cylinder, steam jacketed, thirty-four 
inches square, with a surface condenser. She has an expanding pitch 
propeller ten feet in diameter, and is capable of making eleven knots an 
hour under steam — the mean pitch of the propeller being sixteen feet. 

774 



THE COR WT1T. 775 

She was placed under the command of Capt. L. C. Hooper, of the 
United States navy, a man of large experience and excellent training in 
his profession, and in the prime and vigor of manhood, being not quite 
forty years old. Capt. E. H. Smith, long familiar with Arctic naviga- 
tion, took service as ice pilot; and the ship's company comprised thirty- 
eight others, officers and men — in all forty persons. She was provi- 
sioned for twelve months, and carried one hundred tons of coal in her 
bunkers. The Alaska Commercial Company furnished letters of intro- 
duction to their agents in the north, commanding them to render all pos- 
sible assistance to the captain of the Corwin. Capt. Hooper's instruc- 
tions included attention to the usual revenue service, and an inquiry into 
the alleged starving condition of the inhabitants of St. Lawrence Island, 
besides making such observations as to currents, tides, temperature, and 
the like, as circumstances would permit, but all in subordination to the 
main purpose of the expedition, the relief of the Jeannette and the miss- 
ing whalers. On the eve of departure Hooper thus sketched his inten- 
tions, which were substantially in accord with his instructions: 

"I will seek the whalers first. If I find them I can give them two 
months' rations at least; if they have sick who need to be taken out of 
the Arctic I will return with them to St. Michael's; load up again with 
coal, all we can carry, and go back again after the Jeannette. If Capt. 
DeLong has taken to land I will follow him, and I think I can stand a 
few hundred-miles in a dog sledge." 

Arrived at Ounalaska, the Corwin shipped seventy tons of coal, and 
left on the 8th for St. Paul's Islands. Here they procured sealskin cloth- 
ing for officers and men, and putting the ice-breaker in place, started 
northward. On the nth they first encountered the ice, at 6o° 45' 
by 167° 50', north of Nounivak Island, with a fresh gale blow- 
ing from the southwest. Trying in .vain to get around the floe, they 
entered it on the 13th, after the gale had subsided. Threading their 
way wherever a lead appeared in the ice they pushed on slowly to 
the north, making forty miles the first day, and twenty on the sec- 
ond. On the 15th and 16th they made no progress, and were kept 
fully occupied in saving the vessel from destruction by the floe, with 



77G A NATIVE MESSENGER. 

which they drifted helplessly hither and thither. Under a fierce north- 
east wind and snowstorm on the 17th, they succeeded in anchoring 
in the shelter of Cape RomanzofF, and rode there in comparative safe- 
ty until the morning- of the 18th, when the wind shifting to the north- 
west, they were in danger of being driven ashore by the returning 
ice. They weighed anchor and stood out to meet the ice-pack which 
presented an impenetrable wall, apparently without lead or opening of 
any kind. Driven back by this formidable mass, the Corwin soon found 
herself well in shore in only sixteen feet of water, where they had the 
good fortune to spy a lead into which they hurriedly shot, anchoring to a 
piece of ice which was aground in over thirty-two feet of water, and 
covered about four acres. When the gale subsided the ice began to drift 
away from shore, giving them an open channel to Norton Sound, where 
they anchored on the 19th, but at a distance of sixteen miles from St. 
Michael's, the sound being filled with ice. The vessel came very near 
losing her rudder in the conflict with the pack, and Capt. Hooper now 
devised and adjusted a contrivance whereby it might be unshipped in 
two minutes. The ship had shown good power of resistance, and had 
come out of the ordeal uninjured. 

They were soon visited by a native messenger dispatched by the 
agent of the Alaska Commercial Company, who reported that the win- 
ter of 1879-80 had been terribly severe, with an unusual number of 
heavy snowstorms and high winds; and that the ice had broken up un- 
usually late. A break occurring in the ice, they were enabled to reach 
the harbor of St. Michael's on the evening of the same day, the 19th of 
June. In compliance with that part of his instructions, Capt. Hooper, 
on the 23d of June, steered across Behring Sea to St. Lawrence Island, a 
little over midway to the Asiatic coast, where they found the reports of 
destitution fully and fearfully confirmed. The inhabitants had been in a 
starving condition for two years. The first village visited was entirely 
deserted. The second, some miles distant, presented a frightful scene of 
desolation. Not a living being was to be seen. The dead lay unburied 
on the hillsides and in their beds, just as they had expired. Further west- 
ward, at North Cape, a similar spectacle was witnessed. At first it was 



A SHIP APPREHENDED. 777 

thought that there had been an epidemic, but there is no doubt that there 
was sheer starvation, from which from two hundred to five hundred per- 
sons died. Happily a whale was caught, and the lives of the remnant of 
the settlement were preserved. 

Procuring twenty-five tons of coal from the agents of the Russian 
government at Plover Bay, Siberia, Capt. Hooper proceeded north, 
entering the Arctic Ocean on the 28th of June. Following the ice-pack 
around from Cape Serdze Kamen on the Asiatic side to Point Hope on 
the American, about on the parallel of 69 , and communicating with the 
natives and whalers on both sides of Behring Strait and within the Arc- 
tic Ocean, they failed to learn anything of the Jeannette, the Mount 
Wollaston, or Vigilant. " The whalers," says Hooper, " without an ex- 
ception, gave it as their opinion that nothing will ever be heard of them." 
They also reported that in the Arctic Ocean the winter of 1879-80 had 
been very mild, judging by the year's ice which was exceptionally thin. 
This showed a marked difference between the regions north and south 
of Behring's Strait. Between Kotzebue Sound and Cape Prince of 
Wales, they fell in with the trading bark Leo, and finding her in posses- 
sion of arms, ammunition, and whiskey, Capt. Hooper placed her in 
charge of Lieut. W. H. Hand on the 4th of July, with orders to take 
her to San Francisco to be tried for violation of the revenue laws. 
Hooper continued his voyage, but finding it impossible to penetrate the 
pack to the north and reach a harbor, he returned to St. Michael's on the 
7th, for coal, supplies, and light repairs. The Corwin again pushed north 
on the evening of the 10th, keeping to the American shore as far as Cape 
Lisburne — 68° 56' by 163 34' — whence they proceeded along the edge 
of the pack to the northwest toward Plover and Herald Islands, reach- 
ing within thirty miles of the latter. Here they were compelled by the 
ice to give way to the south, as far as 69 30', whence they struck south- 
east toward Kotzebue Sound. Making another effort to reach Herald 
Island, they steered once more to the northwest, and arrived within 
twenty miles of land on the 4th of August. 

Steaming south to the Russian port on Plover Bay for a fresh supply 
of coal, the Corwin was soon headed north again for a fourth effort to 



778 THE LOTILA. 

reach Herald Island. Driving her ice-breaker through fifteen miles of 
drift ice, she was within three miles of land on the 21st, when her further 
progress was stopped by pack-ice, piled forty feet high along the shore 
Unable to land, they closely scrutinized each point and hill-top, but saw 
no signal, and inferred that whatever else the barren wastes might con- 
tain, the missing navigators were not to be found there. The coast line 
was seven to eight hundred feet in height, and the inland hills rose to 
about 1500 feet. On the 23d Capt. Hooper pushed to the east toward 
Point Barrow, and thence southwest to Cape Lisburne. Four miles 
from the cape Capt. Smith, the ice pilot of the Corwin, discovered a vein 
of coal, of which, when tested and found satisfactory, a supply was taken 
on board, affording a valuable saving of time. Going to and from coal- 
ing stations had hitherto consumed an important portion of the short 
cruising season; and the discovery of this vein at such an accessible point 
of the Arctic Ocean, will doubtless prove of great advantage to future 
explorers. 

On the 29th of August, at Point Hope, they met the trading schoon- 
er Lotila, and breech-loading guns being found aboard, in violation of 
the revenue laws of the United States, Capt. Hooper placed her in charge 
of Lieut. John Wyckoff, to be taken to San Francisco. She carried the 
American flag, but was owned in Honolulu; and had been seized, in 1879, 
for carrying whiskey. 

On the night of the 4th of September the Lotila, during thick, foggy 
weather, went ashore on the north side of St. Lawrence Island, about 
fifteen miles to the east of Cape Chebkak. What provisions in casks 
could be thrown overboard having been washed ashore were immediately 
seized by the natives, and with difficulty the officers and crew could get 
enough to provide for their lengthy stay till relief might come. Lieut. 
Wyckoff and five of the crew volunteered to take the whale-boat and 
make for Plover Bay to get assistance from any passing whaler. They 
reached there on the 14th, after forty-eight hours' rowing, bailing most 
of the distance. Capt. Owen, of the Mary and Helen, took them on 
board on the evening of the 17th, and sailed for the wreck. The Lieu- 
tenant says the confusion and uproar on the beach were frightful beyond ' 



TFTE RELrEF TACHT EZRA. 779 

description. All the natives from Sandspit were there, and had taken 
possession of everything. Capt. Dexter, of the wrecked Lotila, permit- 
ted them to do so. The steamer sent three boats to the wreck and had 
hardly time to get their clothing and what could be taken off before a 
fearful gale sprung up, that threatened to engulf everything. The 
natives got a large quantity of ammunition; the Lieutenant placed the 
rifles beyond their reach. Capt. Dexter, two mates and two seamen were 
placed on board the Julia Long bound to Honolulu. Lieut. WyckofF 
and the others proceeded to San Francisco. 

Meanwhile, a fifth trip to the northwest was undertaken by the Cor- 
win, but her progress was barred at a distance of fortv miles from Herald 
Island. On the nth of September they sighted Wrangell Land, twenty- 
five miles distant, and so surrounded by heavy pack-ice, with new ice 
rapidly forming, that to attempt a nearer approach was to endanger the 
safety of the vessel. She had steamed over 6,000 miles within the Arc- 
tic Ocean without gaining any tidings of the missing vessels, and left on 
the 13th for San Francisco, where she arrived in safety on the 14th of 
October. The ice pilot and engineers freely affirmed that " Capt. Hooper 
made the Corwin go 'for all she was worth.' There was no rest, and 
she had traveled over every inch of the Arctic Sea between Wrangell 
Land and Point Barrow." 

ENGLISH RELIEF YACHT EIRA. 

In England, also, anxiety for the welfare of the members of the Amer- 
ican Polar Expedition of 1S79, eaidy began to be felt. W. Leigh Smith 
a gentleman of fortune and experience in Arctic navigation, left Peter- 
head on the 19th of June, in his steam-yacht Eira, of 360 tons burden, to 
search for, and if it might be, to succor the Jeannette. Mr. Smith had 
made his first Arctic voyage in 1871, in his yacht Samson, and had added 
some valuable contributions to the stock of general information relating 
to those regions. Again, in 1872-3, he had gone in the Diana on a 
second voyage to high northern latitudes, but the results were not as 
noteworthy as on the first trip. On this voyage of 18S0, arriving at 
Franz-Josef Land, he concluded that it was either one of an extensive 



780 THE GULNARE. 

group of islands or the headland of a continuous stretch of land extend- 
ing- far to the northwest. He also discovered in the portion he was able 
to explore a desirable harbor, which is likely to prove of great benefit to 
future explorers in those remote regions. The eminent German geog- 
rapher, Dr. Petermann, had broached the theory that an archipelago 
would be found to surround the North Pole, and Mr. Smith's impression 
of Franz-Josef Land tended measurably to confirm that opinion; but it 
is almost needless to repeat that theories in geography have proved of 
little value in the history of mankind. The actual has ever disproved 
the theoretic; and nothing can be regarded of value that has not been 
tested by actual discovery. In this work the reader has had placed before 
him the successive stages of northern exploration, without having his 
attention distracted by a multitude of theories which might or might not 
be very reliable. Mr. Smith received the gold medal of the Royal 
Geographical Society in appreciation of his important services; but as 
may be guessed, his course was far away from the scenes of the Jtan- 
nette's weary warfare with the ice. 

A second American relief-ship, the Gulnare, sometimes called the 
Howgate Expedition, in honor of Capt. H. W. Howgate, « the father of 
the enterprise," is scarcely worthy of mention, so abortive did it prove. 
The vessel had been disapproved by two boards of examiners, but the 
persistence of Howgate succeeded in over-riding all opposition; and she 
left for the north on June 22, 18S0. She was permitted to carry the 
American flag by a strained interpretation of the Act of Congress 
authorizing the expedition. She returned on the 24th of October, hav- 
ing achieved the barren result of making a voyage to Disco and back. 




CHAPTER LXXXV. 

THE JEANNETTE IN THE EXTREMITY OF PERIL ANXIETY ON SHIP- 
BOARD NEAR WRANGELL LAND CHIPP' S SOUNDINGS EX- 
TRACTS FROM THE JEANNETTE'S LOG THE ICE BORED A PARTY 

OF EXPLORERS -DISCOVERIES A THICK FOG THE LAST ENTRY 

IN THE LOG. 

We left the Jeannette beset in the ice at the early closing-in of the 
Arctic winter of 1 880-1. She was encircled, as stated, by ice eight feet 
thick, besides which there were immense masses shoved under her keel, 
and her bows were lifted at an angle of about one degree, while she was 
also keeled to the starboard about two degrees. She was so firmly held 
in this gigantic vise that when the blacksmith struck his anvil in the fire- 
room one could see the shrouds and stays vibrate, and they were not very 
taut. The executive officer had slackened up the rigging during the first 
winter, and the contraction of wire rigging by the intense cold was of 
course very great. The ice was piled up under the main chains and as 
high as the plank-sheer. In the vicinitv of the ship the ice was tumbled 
about in the greatest confusion, and traveling over it was almost an im- 
possibility. In the month of September the ship was put in winter 
quarters for the second time. She was banked up with snow, the 
deck house was put up for the use of the men, and the awning spread 
so that the spar deck was completely housed over. Economy and 
retrenchment were the order of the day in fuel, provisions, and 
clothing. In the latter part of the month, when the cracks froze over, 
came the best time for travel, but the outlook was poor. There was 
comparatively little snow, and what there was was constantly blown by 
the wind and rendered salt by attrition on the surface of the ice, so that 
it could not be used for culinary purposes. The captain was very favor- 
able to fall traveling, and he several times expressed himself to the effect 

781 



782 



CHIPP'S SOUNDINGS. 



that he would not abandon the ship while there was a pound of provi- 
sions left, and it was generally understood that he would hold on a year 
longer, and probably start when the fall traveling commenced, a year 
later. It was considered that if the provisions held out long enough, if 
they were not attacked by scurvy, and if the ship were not crushed by the 
ice, she would eventually drift out after reaching the vicinity of Franz 
Josef Land, either north or south of it. The 7norale of the ship's com- 
pany was excellent, yet all looked anxiously toward the long night of the 
second winter, which proved to be the most fearful part of their experi- 
ence. The anxiety and mental 
strain were the greatest at that 
time. They -were so completely at 
the mercy of the ice that the vessel 
might be crushed at any moment 
by the thundering agencies that 
were constantly heard. 

The old winter routine of meals, 
two hours' exercise, and so on, com- 
menced on Nov. i, and all was 
going well. November and De- 
cember were extremely cold, but 
there were no severe gales. The 
meteorological observations were 
taken every hour during the first 
year, but every two hours only, 
during the second. They were very thorough, and Mr. Collins was 
very watchful to add something to the science to which he was 
thoroughly devoted. During the illness of Danenhower, from weak 
eyes, the captain and Mr. Chipp took the astronomical observations, 
but each officer in the ship had a round of duty as a weather ob- 
server, and to assist Mr. Collins. There was a quartermaster on 
watch all the time, and steam was kept on the Baxter boiler for 
distilling purposes. To save coal fires were put out in the galley at 3 
p. m., being used only from 7 a. m. til! that hour. 




LIEUT. CHAS. W. CHIPP. 



DUNBAR HOLE. 783 

The month of January, 1SS1, was remarkable for its changeable 
temperature, and as being warmer than the two previous months. 
About the middle of the month the wind set in from the southeast, 
and subsequently to that time the drift of the ship was uniformly to the 
northwest. The depth of the water began to increase toward the north- 
west, but would always decrease toward the southeast or southwest, as 
well as to the northeast. The vessel seemed to drift in a groove, which 
they called Melville's Canal, as he was the first to call attention to the 
fact. Mr. Chipp took the soundings every morning, and by long expe- 
rience could judge of the drift so accurately that his dead reckoning gen- 
erally tallied with the observations. He adopted a scale by which slow 
drift meant three nautical miles per day; moderate, six miles; rapid, nine 
miles; very rapid, twelve miles. He always reckoned the direction and 
speed of the drift, and placed the ship before making the observation. 
His judgment was excellent. He and the captain made frequent lunar 
observations for chronometer errors, but those of the eclipses of Jupiter's 
satellites were the best. February was the coldest month; and the mean 
for the three months was only six degrees lower than that for the same 
months during the previous year. The soundings generally ran thirty- 
three, but one morning Mr. Dunbar sounded in forty-four; some called 
that place Dunbar Hole. They drifted over this spot once again at a 
later period. The absence of animal life prior to May was greater than 
during the previous year. All hands hunted every day, especially as the 
doctor wanted fresh meat for the Indian Alexai, who began to have 
symptoms of the scurvy, and suffered very greatly from abscesses on his 
leg. They killed in all two hundred and fifty seals, thirty bears, and six 
walruses. On May i Dr. Ambler reported the physical condition of the 
crew rapidly deteriorating, and six or seven were placed on whiskey and 
quinine to tone them up. The weather at this time was good, in an 
Arctic sense, and there were no spring gales. 

The result of the drift for the first five months was forty miles. There 
was a cycloidal movement of the ice. The drift during the last six 
months was very rapid. The soundings were pretty even. They were 
eighteen fathoms near Wrangell Land, which was often visible seventy- 



784 JEANNETTE LOG. 

five miles distant. The greatest depth found was eighty fathoms, 
and the average thirty-five. The bottom was blue mud. Shrimps 
and plenty of algological specimens were brought up from the bot- 
tom. The surface water had a temperature of 20 above zero. The 
extremes of the temperature of the air were — greatest cold, 58 be- 
low zero, and greatest heat 44 ° above zero. The first winter the 
mean temperature was 33 ° below zero. The second winter it was 
39 below zero. The first summer the mean temperature was 40 
above zero. The heaviest gale showed a velocity of about fifty miles 
an hour. Such gales were not frequent. Barometric and thermomet- 
ric fluctuations were not great. There were disturbances of the nee- 
dle coincident with the auroras. The winter's growth of ice was eight 
feet. The heaviest ice seen was twenty-three feet. The telephone wires 
were broken by movement of the ice. The photographic collection was 
lost with the ship. Lieut. Chipp's 2,000 auroral observations were also 
lost. The naturalist's notes have been saved. 

During the month of May the ice pilot was almost constantly in the 
crow's-nest, and got blind several times. He was looking out for land, 
and was the first to announce it in sight, being then by a round estimate 
about five hundred miles to the northwest of Herald Island, with the 
ship still beset, and drifting in the pack-ice. 

EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF THE JEANNETTE. 

Tuesday, May 17, 1 881. —Latitude by observation at noon, north 76 
43' 20"; longitude by chronometer from afternoon observations, east 
161 53' 45" ; sounded in forty-three fathoms; muddy bottom; a slight 
drift northwest being indicated by the lead line; weather dull and gloomy 
in the forenoon; close, bright, and pleasant, in the afternoon. At 7 
p. m. land was sighted from aloft by William Dunbar, ice pilot, and 
bearing south 78 ° 45' west (magnetic) or north S3 15' west true. It ap- 
pears to be an island ; but owing to fog hanging partly over it and partly 
to the northward of it, no certainty is felt that this is all of it. It is also 
visible from the deck, but no estimate can be made of its distance. As 
no such land is laid down upon any chart in our possession, belief that 



BORING THE ICE. 



785 




we have made a discovery is permissible. This is the first land of anv 
kind seen by the ship since March 24, 18S0, at which date we saw for 
the last time the north side of "Wrangell Land." 

Wednesday, May 18, 1SS1. — Latitude north 76 ° 43' 38", longitude 
east 161 ° 42' 30". The land sighted yesterday remains visible all day, 
and with greater clearness. The clouds of yesterday, or fog bank, as 
then called, having disappeared from the upper part of the island, we are 
able to see apparent rocky cliffs with a snow-covei'ed slope extending 
back to the westward from them, and terminating in a conical mass like 

a volcano top. 

Thursday, May 19, 1881. — Lat- 
itude 76 ° 44' 50" north, longitude 
161 ° 30' 45" east. Crew engaged 
in digging down through the ice on 
the port side of the stem in an effort 
to reach the forefoot. The ice was 
:.;,, : : first bored to a depth of ten feet 
l|i two inches without getting to the 
ip| bottom of it; next a hole -was dug 
||1|a four feet in depth, and from the 
bottom of this hole a drilling was 
made to the depth of ten feet two 
inches, still not reaching the bottom 
of the ice at fourteen feet two 
inches; but "water now came oozing 
in to fill up the space dug, and further effort was not made. It 
is fair to assume that the thickness is of more than one floe, and 
that the water flows in between the blocks as they lie one above the 
other. An opening occurred in the ice about five hundred yards to the 
eastward of the ship and partially closed at 10 p. m., the ship receiving sev- 
eral slight shocks as the edges of the ice came together. The island remains 
in plain view all day, and at times after 6 p. m. a very strong appear- 
ance of higher land beyond and to the westward is seen, seemingly con- 
nected by a snowy slope with what we have called an island. 
50 




WM. M DUNBAR. 



786 JEANNETTE LOG. 

Friday, May 20. — The island remains in plain view all day, though 
nothing can be seen of the high land beyond, the strong appearance of 
which is noted in yesterday's log. The center of the island now bears 
west (true), but as no observations could be obtained to-day, its position 
and distance cannot be determined by the change of bearing. 

Saturday, May 21. — Latitude north 76 52' 22", longitude east 161 
7' 45". The point of the island which on the 16th inst. bore north 83 
15' west (true) to-day bears south 78 ° 30' west (true), from which 
change of bearing it is computed that the island is now twenty-four and 
three-fifths miles distant. The position of the observed point is therefore 
latitude 76 47' 28" noi - th, longitude 159 20' 45". From measure- 
ment made by a sextant it is found that the island as seen to-day subtends 
an angle of 2 10'. 

Wednesday, May 25. — Latitude north 77 ° 16' 3", longitude east 159 
33' 30". At 8 a. m. the ice was found to have opened in numerous 
long lanes, some connected and some single, extending generally in 
north-northwest and south-southeast direction. By making occasional 
portages boats were able to go several miles from the vessel, but for the 
ship herself there were no ice openings of sufficient magnitude. The 
strong appearance of land mentioned on the 12th inst. proves to have 
been land in fact, and for the reasons similar to those herein set forth (in 
the remarks of the 17th inst.) it may be recorded as another discovery. 
The second land is an island of which the position and present distance 
are yet to be determined. The interval between the two islands is 

49° 55'- 

Tuesday, May 31. — No observations. Crew engaged in digging a 

trench round the vessel, and after 4 p. m. in getting up provisions, etc., 
in readiness for a sledge party directed to leave the ship to-morrow 
morning. 

Wednesday, June 1. — No observations. At 9 A. m. a party, con- 
sisting of Passed Assistant Engineer G. W. Melville, Mr. William Dun- 
bar, W. F. C. Ninderman (seaman), H. H. Ericksen (seaman), J. H. 
Bartlett (first class fireman), and Walter Sharwell (coal heaver), started 
to make an attempt to land upon the island discovered by us on the 25th 



JEANMETTE LOG. 7S7 

ult., and which bears southwest half-west (true) at an estimated distance 
of twelve miles. They carried with them the light dingy, secured upon 
a sled drawn by fifteen dogs, and provisions for seven days, beside knap- 
sacks and sleeping bags and arms. All hands assembled on the ice to 
witness the departure, and cheers were exchanged as the sled moved off. 
At 6 A. M. the traveling party could be seen from aloft at about five 
miles distant from the ship. 

Thursday, June 2. — Latitude 77 16' 14" north. During the fore- 
noon the traveling party was in sight from aloft, seemingly more than 
half way to the island. 

Saturday, June 4. — Latitude 77 ° 12' 55" north, longitude 158 1 1 ' 
45" east. From the cracked appearance of the ice around the stern it 
would seem that the ship is endeavoring to rise from her ice dock. To 
facilitate her rising and to relieve the strain upon the keel under the pro- 
peller, the men were engaged forenoon and afternoon in digging away 
the ice under the counters, and in the neighborhood of the propeller well. 
The said ice is of a flinty hardness and clings so closely to the ship as to 
show the grain of the wood and to tear out the oakum, visible where the 
ship's rising has left open spaces. Bearings of the island toward which 
the traveling party was sent: — South end S. 52 west (true). North 
end S. 61 ° west (true). 

Sunday, June 5. — No observations. At 1 1 a. m. started a fire on 
the ice ahead of the ship, adding tar and oakum to make a black smoke 
as a signal of our location to the absent traveling party. At 4 p. m. 
the weather being foggy, fired a charge from the brass gun and one from 
a whale gun as a similar signal. Carpenters pushed repairs to steam 
cutter. 

Monday, June 6. — No observations. At 10 A. M. called all hands to 
muster and read the act for the government of the navy. The com- 
manding officer then inspected the ship. At 1 130 p. M. divine services 
were read in the cabin. At 6 A. m. sighted the traveling party making 
their way back to the ship; sent the starboard watch out to assist them 
in. At 9 A. M. the sled arrived alongside, drawn by the dogs and ac- 
companied by Ninderman, Ericksen, and Bartlett. Mr. William Dun- 



788 JE ANNETTE LOG. 

bar, ice pilot, was brought in by this party, having been disabled by snow 
blindness. At twenty minutes of 10 A. m. Engineer Melville and Wal- 
ter Sharwell, coal heaver, with all remaining traveling gear, arrived on 
board. 

The party landed on the island at half-past 5 p. m., on Friday, June 
3, hoisted our national ensign, and took possession of our discoveries in 
the name of the United States of America. 'The island discovered on 
May 17 has been named, and will hereafter be known as Jeannette 
Island. It is situated in latitude j6° 47' north, and longitude 158 56' 
east. The island discovered on May 25 and landed upon as above stated, 
has been named and will hereafter be known as Henrietta Island. It is 
situated in latitude 77 ° 8' north, and longitude 1 57° 43' east. 

Tuesday, June 7, 1881. — Latitude 77 11' 10" north; longitude, no 
observations. In anticipation of our floe breaking up and our being 
launched into the confusion raging about us, hoisted the steam cutter, 
brought aboard the kayaks and oomiaks and removed from the ice such 
of our belongings as could not be secured at a few moments' notice. 

Wednesday, June 8. — No observations. So thick was the fog until 

10 a. m. that our position with reference to Henrietta Island could not be 
determined, but at that hour the fog cleared away, and the island was 
sighted right ahead, at a distance of about four miles. As indicated 
yesterday, we were being drifted across the north face. The large open- 
ings near us have closed and the general appearance of the ice to the 
west and northwest is that of an immense field broken up in many places 
by the large piles of broken floe pieces, but with no water spaces. Con- 
siderable 'water sky is visible to the south and southwest, and several un- 
connected lanes of water are to be seen in those directions. The ice 
having passed, the obstruction caused by Henrietta Island has closed up 
again and resumed its accustomed drift to the northwest. 

Friday, June 10. — Latitude 77 14' 20" north, longitude 156 7' 30" 
east. At 11 p. m. the ship received several severe jars. At half-past 

1 1 the ice eighty yards to the westward opened to a width of ten feet, 
and after several shocks from the ice, the ship was found to have risen 
an inch forward. At midnight there was considerable motion to our sur- 



JEANNETTE LOG. 789 

rounding floe, and strong indications of a breaking up of the ice along- 
side the ship. 

Saturday, June n. — Latitude 77 ° 13' 45" north, longitude 155 46' 
30" east. At ten minutes past 12 a. m. the ice suddenly opened 
alongside, and the ship righted to an even keel. Called all hands at once 
and brought on the few remaining things on the ice. The ship settled 
"down to her proper bearings nearly, the draught being 8 feet 11 inches 
forward, and 12 feet 5 inches aft. A large block of ice could be seen 
remaining under the keel. At the first alarm the gate in the water-tight 
bulkhead forward was closed, but the amount of water coming into the 
ship was found to decrease— a small stream trickling aft being all that 
could be seen. There being many large spaces of water near us and the 
ice having a generally broken up appearance, it was concluded to ship 
the rudder to be ready for an emergency involving the moving of the 
ship. After some trouble in removing accumulations of ice around the 
gudgeons the rudder was shipped, and everything cleared away for 
making sail. As well as could be judged by looking down through the 
water under the counters there was no injury whatever to the afterbody 
of the ship. As soon as possible a bow line and a quarter line had been 
got out and the ship secured temporarily to the ice, which remained on 
the starboard side, as nearly in the same berth as she could be placed. 
By looking down through the water alongside the stern on the port side 
one of the iron straps near her forefoot was seen to be sprung off, but 
otherwise no damage could be detected. It was assumed by me that the 
heavy ice which all along bore heavily against the stern had held the 
plank ends open on the garboards, and that as soon as the ship was able 
to move from this heavy ice the wood ends came together again, closing 
much of the opening, and reducing the leak. The water line or rather 
water level being below the berth deck no difficulty was anticipated in 
keeping the ship afloat, and navigating her to some port should she ever 
be liberated from the pack-ice of the Arctic Ocean. Sounded in thirty- 
three fathoms, bottom mud, rapid drift to north-northwest. This is the 
last entry in the log, and is in pencil, and with the rest is in the hand- 
writing- of De Long. 



790 JEANNETTE LOG. 

The ice continued in motion, but no serious injury occurred to the ship 
until the morning of the 12th, when the ice commenced to pack together, 
bringing a tremendous strain on the ship, heeling her over to starboard, 
and forcing the deck seams open. This continued during the day at in- 
tervals until evening, when it was evident the ship could not much longer 
hold together. The boats were lowered on the ice, and provisions, arms, 
tents, alcohol, sledges, and all necessary equipment for a retreat, securely 
placed on the floe. By 6 p. M. the ship had entirely filled with water 
and lay over at an angle of about twenty-two degrees, being kept from 
sinking by the opposing edges of the floe. On the morning of the 13th 
of June, about 4 o'clock, the ice opened and the ship went down, with 
colors riving- at the masthead. 




CHAPTER LXXXVI. 

SECOND VOYAGE OF THE CORWIN — - HER OFFICERS ENTER THE 

ARCTIC STRUGGLE TO REACH WRANGELL LAND CRUISE OF 

THE RODGERS COMMANDER BERRY'S LETTER LANDS ON 

HERALD ISLAND BURNING OF THE RODGERS — THE RODGERS 

PARTY BOARD THE NORTH STAR THE EIRA AGAIN THE 

ALLIANCE. 

On the 2d of May, 1881, Capt. Hooper received final instructions for 
his second voyage, and only awaited some additional stores, including 
a large supply of pemmiean, which was delayed in transmission from the 
east. These having arrived on the 4th, the Corwin steamed out of the 
Golden Gate on the afternoon of that day, amid the tumultuous applause 
and enthusiastic cheers of the spectators, conveyed to sea by the revenue 
cutters Rush and Hartley. 

The following were the officers of the Corwin : C. L. Hooper, cap- 
tain; W.J. Herring, first lieutenant; E. Burke, second lieutenant; O. B. 
Myrick, Geo. H. Doty and Wm. E. Reynolds, third lieutenants; Jas. T. 
Wayson, Chas. A. Laws and Fred. E. Owen, engineer and assistants; 
and I. C. Rosse, surgeon. The crew consisted of thirty picked men, in- 
cluding an experienced coal miner, whose services were to be utilized in 
making available the coal mine discovered in 1S80, near Cape Lisburne. 
After parting company with the Rush and Hartley j the Corwin headed 
north and west for the Aleutian Islands. The weather for the first 
eight days was delightful; but this auspicious opening of the voyage was 
soon followed by high winds and hail and snowstorms. As they neared 
Ounalaska a very heavy sea was encountered, owing in part to the high 
tides which occur there at that season of the year. At Ounalaska they 
were received with great cordiality, and took on board a good supply 
of coal, one year's extra provisions, and the customary fur clothing for 

officers and men. 

791 



792 REPORT OF TCHUKTCHIS. 

Reaching St. Lawrence Island on May 28, they pushed on to the 
north, and entered the Arctic Ocean on May 30. In latitude 68° io' 
north, by longitude 1 73 48' west, north of Kolyutchin Island, the Cor- 
win had her rudder badly shattered by the ice, and for several days, 
while it was being repaired, she was steered by means of a jury rudder. 
Lieuts. Herring and Reynolds, with one seaman and two natives, were 
landed on the Siberian coast, with instructions to explore the shore as far 
as Cape Yakan, nearly eight degrees to the west, and one and one-half 
to the north, a journey of about 300 miles, and with the necessary wind- 
ings and doublings, likely to prove considerably longer. They were pro- 
vided with four sledges and twenty-five dogs, a tent, a skin boat, plenty 
of fur clothing for night and day, and sixty days' food for men and dogs. 
With high hopes and great courage they proceeded on their melancholy 
pilgrimage, while the Corwin i-eturned, through much tribulation, June 
15, to Plover Bay, on the east coast of Siberia. Here Capt. Hooper got 
the first tidings of the missing whalers. The captain of the bark Tom 
Pope reported that some Tchuktchis had boarded the Vigilant at Cape 
North, or Irkaipie, about longitude 180 , and found the dead bodies of 
her crew, and vessel stove in and full of water; and that the Mount Wol- 
laston was found in a similar condition eighty miles further to the north- 
west. On the wreck of the Vigilant were found a telescope, a bomb- 
gun and some lines. This would be on Lieut. Herring's route, and con- 
firmation might be expected from that quarter. 

Accordingly, his party had no sooner reached the mouth of Wan- 
karem River, about forty miles to the west of where they parted com- 
pany with the Corwin, than they fell in with a party of Tchuktchis, in 
whose possession were found a number of articles taken from the -wreck. 
From what could be .learned it was thought probable the vessel had been 
wrecked in 1879. Herring's party finding it impossible to proceed farth- 
er to the northwest, retraced their course and pushed east 100 miles to 
Cape Serdze Kamen, having made a sledge-journey of 140 miles. 
Meanwhile, the Corwin had returned from her coaling trip to the south, 
with a rudder taken from the wreck of the Lotila, and picked them up 
on the 29th of June, 



THE COR WIN IN DANGER. 793 

The Corwin continued her cruise, making corrections, verifications 
and additions, of more or less value to the discoveries and surveys of 
previous navigators, as found in the charts of the Navy Department ; and 
on the 17th of August was at Point Barrow. 

The struggle to reach Wrangell Land was, it appears, very far from 
being a holiday task. It involved a twelve days' conflict with the ice 
king, and every foot of the approach had to be won from the long array 
of packs, floes, and detached masses of ice. The Corwin stood bravely 
to the task, like a thing of life struggling for a mastery that she seemed 
conscious of being hard to win. At one moment threatened with de- 
struction, then rising again with almost the human determination of the 
minds in charge, she made another brave effort; and so worked forward 
by repeated assaults into open water within half a mile of land. A land- 
ing party under command of Lieut. Reynolds now took formal posses- 
sion, planting the flagstaff in a high cleft, and depositing at its foot a bot- 
tle containing the record of the event, and a tin tube containing a copy 
of the New York Herald of March 22, 1881. The river at which they 
landed Capt. Hooper named Clark River, in honor of Maj. E. W. 
Clark, chief of the Revenue Marine Bureau, who had evinced an active 
interest in the welfare of the expedition. The flag was saluted by the 
cannon of the Corwin, and by three hearty cheers from her company, 
with answering shouts from the party on land. They sought in vain 
for traces of the Jeannette, and left for Herald Island, which, however, 
they were unable to reach, because of the blockading ice. The Corwin 
pushed to the east, as stated in Capt. Hooper's report, to the relief of the 
Webster, wrecked on July 3. After coaling in Plover Bay on the 24th, 
another effort was made to reach Wrangell Land before the end of the 
month, but they were prevented by storms of wind and snow from get- 
ting nearer than twenty miles. During the first week of September 
they encountered a furious gale, a cold, northerly blast, piercing in its 
intensity, and by its violence threatening the very existence of the Cor- 
win. The ice-breaker became unmanageable, and was cast aside; and 
the rudder was but a frail, patched-up substitute for her own, as previ- 
ously related, and of course not to be relied on in so dangerous an emer- 



794 THE MART AND HELEN. 

gency. Most of the ship's oak-sheathing had been torn away by the 
jagged ice, and taken altogether, she was fortunate in being able to get 
away without serious disaster. Having on board nine shipwrecked 
whalemen from the Webster, already referred to, and with his own ship 
somewhat crippled, Capt. Hooper determined to return. Through 
masses of pack-ice, which threatened to be soon welded together by the 
new ice, with good seamanship, constant soundings, occasional anchor- 
age to ice-masses, and unremitting watchfulness, they reached Kotzebue 
Sound, where they got the first glimpse of the sun they had seen in 
twelve days. Leaving the sound and proceeding through Behring's 
Strait, she encountered extremely rough weather, and arrived in safety 
at San Francisco about midnight of Oct. 20, 18S1. 

The steam- whaler Mary and Helen had been bought of her owners 
for $100,000, which, with $75,000 more, had been appropriated by Con- 
gress to the purchase and outfit of a Jeannette relief expedition. She was 
dry-docked on the 23d of April, 1881, at Mare Island to receive some in- 
ternal strengthening and an outer sheathing of oak plank, nearly four 
inches thick. She was carefully inspected by the naval authorities, and 
pronounced well adapted for the undertaking. Public opinion declared 
her to be "strong in every part, of about four hundred tons' burden, able 
to rest upon her center, and be lifted fore and aft, without strain, and 
would present the greatest resistance to ice-pressure that could be found 
in any vessel on the Pacific coast." She was renamed in honor of Ad- 
miral Rodgers, and was intrusted to the following officers of the navy: 
Lieut. Robert M. Berry, commander; Master H. S. Waring, executive 
officer and navigator; Master Charles F. Putnam, H.J. Hunt, and G. M. 
Storey, ensigns; A. V. Gano, assistant engineer; and W. H. Gilder, who 
had been with Schwatka, pay-clerk. Passed-Assistant Surgeon D. M. 
Jones and Assistant Surgeon J. D. Costello, were the medical staff; and 
the crew consisted of twenty-seven picked volunteers from the navy yards 
of the United States, who were all fully up to the requirements of the 
Jeannette relief board. 

On the 1 6th of June, at fifteen minutes past 3, the Rodgers got 
under way, going out slowly, and passed away from the Golden Gate. 



BERRT'S LETTER. 795 

All the officers and crew left in excellent spirits, a band of intrepid 
men, working together in perfect harmony, all anxious for the success 
of the expedition, and fully determined to achieve it. Lieut. Berry 
said in parting, " I shall do all in my power to render the expedition 
a success, and shall thoroughly explore Wrangell Land. If De Long 
needs help I shall spare no effort to render him all I can. I feel 
that the nation and the scientific antics of the world are ' watching 
our movements with deep interest, and we shall try to make a record 
worthy of the nation whose flag we bear." 

Commander Berry wrote from Petropaulovski, July 24, 1S81 : 

"The Arctic search steamer Rodgers arrived here on the afternoon of 
the 19th inst., after a stormy passage. All on board are well. The ves- 
sel showed fine sailing qualities, and steamed to better advantage than 
was anticipated, developing five knots an hour without the assistance of 
sails. There were only about five days fine weather during the trip, yet 
we reached our destination in less than an average passage of sailing 
vessels. 

" We found the Alaska Commercial Company's steamer Alexander, 
Capt. Sandman, in port. Also the Russian steam corvette Sterlock, 
Commander Deliveron, who stated that he had received orders from his 
government to aid the Rodgers as much as possible, also to enter Beh- 
ring's Strait and the Arctic seas in summer, and search for the Jean- 
nette. He tendered us as much as we desired of five hundred tons of 
coal now in Plover Bay, and said he would meet us at Serdze Kamen 
and send a dispatch to the United States from the nearest telegraph sta- 
tion in Asia in the latter part of September. We have secured 
forty-seven fine dogs, and a large quantity of fur-clothing, probably suffi- 
cient for the entire cruise. The Rodgers sails to-day via St. Michael's, 
Plover Bay and St. Lawrence Island for Serdze Kamen, Herald Island 
and Wrangell Land, where we expect to arrive toward the last of 
August." 

The Rodgers, after leaving St. Lawrence Bay and passing through 
Behring's Strait, effected a landing on Herald Island on Aug. 24. No 
traces of the Jeannette were seen at the northwestern extremity of the 



796 NO TRACE OF THE JEANNETTE. 

island, and the Rodgers left its own record of visitation on the crest of 
the cliff. The next day the Rodgers steamed for Wrangell Land, and 
after passing through a dozen miles of loose ice, effected a landing on its 
southern side. In the evening of the next day they entered a fine 
harbor where the vessel could remain with safety, while expeditions 
were sent off to explore the interior and the eastern and western 
coasts to look for cairns or traces of the Jeannette. Capt. Berry 
commanded the land party, accompanied by Dr. M. D. Jones and 
four men. They reached a mountain 3,500 feet high, from which 
they saw open water around the island everywhere, except between 
the west and southwest, where a high range of mountains seemed 
to terminate the land. Master S. H. Waring went around the eastern 
coast and northern side, until blocked by ice, "which was packed in by 
the northerly wind. He had to abandon his boat and make his way 
overland to the ship. Ensign Hunt went by the western coast and 
reached the ice that blocked Waring, finding it impossible to penetrate 
it. He had passed most of the northern point of the island and could see 
Waring's position, so that the entire island has been skirted, and its insu- 
lar character fully established. Though the ship could not possibly sail 
or steam around Wrangell Land, her commander proved, by his officers 
in boats, that it is an island, and inferentially that the Jeannette had an 
opportunity of going northwest toward the Pole, and that the chances of 
De Long's success and of his returning in safety, freighted with invalua- 
ble information, were brighter than ever. 

No traces of the Jeannette were found, nor any traces that any nu- 
man being had ever been there, except the record left by the Corwin on 
Aug. 12, The harbor where the Rodgers last anchored for this land 
exploration was in longitude 178 io' west, latitude 70 57' north, south 
and west of Hooper's Landing, at Clark River. Ensign Hunt's party 
were provided with fifteen days' provisions and instructed to encircle the 
island, if possible, for he felt pretty certain of its insnlar character, since 
making our observations from Herald Island of the variable change 
of currents and ice, which shows this to be a remarkable season in 
the Arctic. 



BURNING OF THE RODGERS. 797 

The detailed narrative, or log, of the cruise of the Rodgers registers 
the efforts of her officers and crew to make in boats an unbroken tour 
around what may now be properly termed Wrangell Island, as in every 
sense highly creditable to this relief ship expedition. There was no pro- 
longed suffering. There was little cold and hunger, but the pluck of the 
officers and men on the entire voyage will doubtless be read with admi- 
ration by Americans everywhere. On Sept. 19 the Rodgers reached 
latitude 73 ° 44' north, the highest point attained by an exploring vessel in 
those seas. Observations with the deep sea lead, which were made hourly 
after entering this sea, seemed to indicate a receding from rather than an 
approach to land as they went north. The water continually deepened as 
they advanced, until at the highest point 73 44' north latitude, 171 ° 48' 
west longitude, it was found to be eighty-two fathoms. The character 
of the bottom was very irregular — -sometimes hard, at others black sand, 
and in many places blue mud, which was at the deepest soundings. 

Lieut. Berry reported that he had found no traces of the Jeannette's 
people on Herald Island ; that he had tried in vain to find suitable winter 
quarters on the Siberian coast; had erected a depot on an island twenty 
miles west of Serdze Kamen, which he had put in charge of Master 
Putnam, with Dr. Jones, Mr. Gilder and three others, and arrived with 
the Rodgers, on Oct. 15, in St. Lawrence Bay, where she was to winter. 

Lieut. Berry, accompanied by Ensign Hunt, left the Rodgers on the 
23d of December, to sledge the Siberian coast in quest of possible news 
of the Jeannette in that quarter. Master Waring was left in command 
of the vessel in St. Lawrence Bav. The next heard of her was through 
a telegram sent from the interior of Sibeida by Mr. Gilder, of the ship's 
company, who had made his way from the Tchuktchi village of Tiapka, 
about midway between Nordenskiold's winter haven and Cape Serdze 
Kamen to Werchoyansk on the Yana, in about latitude 68° by longitude 
1 34 east, where he arrived on the 38th of March. The startling intel- 
ligence was that "the steamer Rodgers was burned on the 1st of Janu- 
ary, 1S82; Master Waring and the crew are at Tiapka, where they get 
food enough from the Tchuktchis. The ispravnik (Russian local gov- 
ernor) of the Kolymsk district had sent tobacco and tea to them for pur- 




798 



THE CORWIN ORDERED FORWARD. 799 

poses of barter with the natives. They needed nothing else. Three 
months' provisions were saved from the ship. Tiapka is near Cape 
Serdze Karaen." 

Mr. Gilder, with commendable energy, had made a long and weari- 
some journey to bear this news to the confines of civilization. He ar- 
rived at Sredni, that is, Middle, Kolymsk, on the Kolyma, about one 
hundred and fifty miles from its mouth, early in March. The 
way from Tiapka is well known to the natives, being their regular trad- 
ing or caravan' route, but was none the less arduous and dangerous in mid- 
winter, a season of the year when even the hardy natives seldom tra- 
verse it. Having arrived at Kolymsk, the ispravnik accompanied him to 
the southwest; and the news of the disaster soon flashed to the ends of 
the earth. The following details were afterward ascertained : 

On the 22d of April the Corwin had been ordered forward to St. 
Lawrence Bay to the rescue of the crew of the Rodgers, and had reached 
the ground soon after they got safely aboard the North Star. 

Master Waring intrusted to the natives at Plover and Marcus Bays, 
letters to be delivered to any whaling vessels which might visit these places, 
informing them of the condition of the shipwrecked crew. Capt. Owens, 
of the steam whaler North Star, of New Bedford, got one of these let- 
ters, and forced his ship through ice opposite St. Lawrence Bay, reaching 
there on May 8. On the afternoon of the 14th the Rodgers party safely 
boarded the North Star. Before leaving, Mr. Waring issued to the na- 
tives all the unexpended trade goods, provisions, rifles, ammunition and 
boots as recompense for their kind treatment, and the recompense was 
eminently satisfactory to these harmless creatures, so that should a party 
of wrecked mariners ever again be cast away sn that vicinity, they can 
rest assured of a good reception. The officials and men all unite in 
speaking of the generosity and trouble taken by Capt. Owens in effect- 
ing their rescue. Previous to their being transferred to the Corwin he 
offered to land them either at Fort St. Michael's, Alaska, or San 
Francisco. On the night of the 14th the Corwin put in an appearance, 
and all hands were immediately transferred to her and taken to Sitka, 
where they arrived on the 3d of June, and thence to San Francisco. 



800 VARIOUS PLANS OF RELIEF. 

THE EIRA AGAIN TO THE RESCUE. 

On the 13th of June, 1881, W. Leigh Smith set out again for the 
north in his steam yacht Eira, in the hope of being of service to the Jean- 
nette. He was accompanied by Dr. Neale, Capt. Lofley and a crew of 
twenty-two men, the vessel being fully provisioned for fourteen months, 
with a flour and bread supply for two years. On the 13th of July they 
were steaming through pack-ice, and on the 33d sighted Franz-Josef 
Land. Proceeding toward Cape Ludlow, close to the pack to the north- 
ward, they entered Nightingale Sound on the 2d of August, and arriving 
at Eira Harbor, erected a storehouse. On the 16th they proceeded east- 
ward in search of the Jeannette, but were unable to pass Barenz Hook 
because of the ice in that quarter. On the 21st the Eira got nipped be- 
tween a land-floe and pack-ice, a mile to the east of Cape Flora, and the 
leak gained so rapidly that in two hours after it had been discovered it 
was necessary to abandon the ship. Hardly had the last man left her 
when the ice eased, and she sank quickly, before they were able to save 
much of their stores. All the boats were saved; and most of the men 
saved some clothing and bedding. A tent was at once erected on the 
ice, and for sixteen nights they slept in it, and were at times almost floated 
out by rain. Meanwhile, they constructed a hut. of stone and turf at the 
Cape and covered it with sails. Here they wintered in safety from Sep- 
tember 7, 18S1, to June 21, 1882, and during the whole period were 
happily free from scurvy, having plenty of fresh meat. Thirty-six bears 
and twenty-nine walruses were killed and eaten. On June 21, 1882, they 
left Cape Flora in four boats, and sailed eighty miles without seeing any 
ice, but soon had enough of it, arriving, however, in safety, at Nova 
Zembla on the 2d of August. 

Meanwhile, the steam-whaler, Hope, under Sir Allen Young, was 
dispatched from England in June, 1882, to the rescue of the Eira, the ex- 
pense being defrayed by the family of the missing navigator, with contri- 
butions of $5,000 from the Royal Geographical Society, and $25,000 
from the Government. Sir Henry Gore Booth and W. G. A. Grant, the 
amateur Arctic photographer, who had accompanied Mr. Smith in his 



THE ALLIANCE. 



801 



cruise of 18S0, fitted out the small vessel Kara to prosecute an independ- 
ent search. The Dutch exploring 1 schooner, William Barentz, also went 
into the work of search — under direction of the Government; and Nor- 
denskiold's merchant patron, Dr. Oscar Dickson, stimulated the Scandi- 
navian walrus hunters to active participation in the search by the offer of 
liberal rewards for news of the Eira, or any help to vessel or crew. 
The Hope had a stormy voyage to the north, encountering high 
winds, ice and fog, but arrived in safety at Karmahuld, Nova Zembla, on 





PARLIAMENT IIOUSK AT RFIKIAVIK. 



the 19th of July. The Kara was lving in the same harbor. On the 3d 
of August the Hope fell in with the boats of the Eira, in Matotschkin 
Schar, Nova Zembla; and the whole party arrived safely at Peterhead 
on the 19th of August. 

THE VOYAGE OF THE ALLIANCE. 

The United States steamer Alliance, in command of Capt. Wadleigh, 

left Norfolk, Va., June 16, 18S1, for the rescue of the Jeannette. She 

proceeded to Newfoundland, and thence to Reikiavik, Iceland, being the 

first vessel of the United States navy to visit that port. She was of 

course received with effusive cordiality by the Icelanders, who entertain 

a very special regard for the Great Republic. Reikiavik is situated in 
51 



802 TN A CUL-DE-SAC. 

latitude 64 ° 8' 40", and west longitude 21 ° 50', and is the capital of the 
island. The population, however, is only about 1,500, but its political 
pre-eminence as the seat of government makes it a more important town 
than the number of its inhabitants would seem to indicate. It is also a 
bishop's see, with ecclesiastical, medical and general colleges, an observa- 
tory, and public library. It is quite an old place, having been founded in 
S74, and is in some respects one of the most interesting places in the 
world. The history and character of the inhabitants are as remarkable 
as the physical characteristics of the land they live in. But their Ameri- 
can visitors had no opportunity to indulge in sentimental intercourse, be- 
ing anxious to push forward to the help of the Jeannette. Leaving their 
Icelandic friends, they set sail for Hammerfest, in Norway, where they 
adjusted to the cross-trees of the Alliance the well known Arctic contriv- 
ance, the crow's-nest, a tub about five feet deep, to protect the lookout 
from the cold blasts of the north, while perched aloft on the watch for 
icebergs, leads, floes, and whatever else may heave in sight. Losing no 
time at any point, as there was much to be done, and but a short season 
in which to do it, the Alliance now steamed away into the desolate re- 
gions of the north toward Spitzbergen, going as high as 8o c io' 55", 
but of course found no traces of the Jeannette, which was nearly half 
the circle to the east of them. 

Four months out from Norfolk, and having already made her first 
vain tour of observation and re-coaled at Hammerfest, the Alliance was 
again headed north, on the 16th of September, for a second trip. On the 
23d she found herself inclosed in an ice-pocket or cul-de-sac, and in immi- 
nent danger of being beset for the winter in the midst of the sea, if not 
crushed by the pack-ice. Slowly steaming northward by the way they 
had entered, with the commander in the crow's-nest, anxiously peering 
through the haze for the ever-changing openings or leads in the floe, 
while issuing his orders to the officer in charge below, they had the good 
fortune to thread their way out of the labyrinth. As it was now late in 
the season, and the chance of being of service to the missing ship very 
slim, Captain Wadleigh now judged it prudent to return, and arrived 
home ia safety toward the close of October. 



CHAPTER LXXXVII. 

THE JEANNETTE DISAPPEARS FROM SIGHT A PLAN OF ESCAPE 

PARTIES DETAILED HARDSHIPS MAKING FOR THE LAND 

CAPE EMMA THE THREE BOAT-LOADS THADDEUS ISLAND 

THE ADVENTURE OF CHIPP AND KUEHNE A DEER-HUNT ■ 

DANENHOWER'S LAST TALK WITH CHIPP NO OTHER BOATS 

IN SIGHT. 

The last direct reference to the voyage of the Jeannette closed with 
the loss of the vessel. She sank about 4 A. M. of June 13, 1SS1, in lati- 
tude 76 ° 15' and longitude 156 20' east-— in round numbers, about 150 
miles northeast of the New Siberian Islands, 300 from the nearest point 
of the Siberian coast, the headlands west of the Indigirka River, and 
nearly 600 in a direct line to the delta of the Lena. Seaman Kuehne 
and Fireman Bartlett — the one going on and the other off watch— were 
the only persons who actually saw her disappear. Daylight found her 
company encamped on the ice about 400 yards from where she went 
down. Here they remained six days, since taking their last meal aboai-d 
the doomed ship on the evening of the nth, organizing a system of 
travel, determining the direction to take, and awaiting improvement in 
the health of about one-fourth their number, who were suffering from 
stomach disorders, supposed to have been occasioned by tin-poisoning 
from tomato cans. But the time was not wasted, the well being kept 
busy in distributing and packing goods in the sleds and boats. They had 
saved eight sledges of all kinds, three boats — first and second cutter, and 
one whale-boat; six tents*; about 3,500 pounds of pemmican in forty-five 
pound canisters, 1,500 pounds of hard bread, rather more tea than they 
were likely to need, and a considerable quantity of Liebig's Extract — ■ 
an important element in their diet. There was also some canned turkey 
and chicken, but these were disposed of in their first encampment. They 

803 



804 



A PLAN OF ESCAPE. 



had a liberal supply of alcohol for fuel, and a good stock of rifles and 
ammunition. The aggregate weight of the five loaded sleds was 6,600 
pounds; the sixth was used as a hospital sledge. The three boats were 
mounted on ship-made sleds, each of which consisted of two heavy oak 
runners, about twelve inches high, and shod with whalebone, and twelve 
feet in length, with eight or ten cross-pieces made from the staves of 
whiskey barrels. The weights of the first and second cutter and whale- 
boat, with the sled and outfit of each, were respectively, 3,000, 2,300 and 




ARCTIC SLEDGE. 



2,500 pounds — a grand total of 15,400 pounds, with but twenty-two men 
in condition to work, or 700 pounds to each man. The dogs were har- 
nessed to two light Arctic sledges loaded with a large amount of other 
stores in excess of those more permanently stowed in the five sleds, as 
already mentioned. In the boats each man had a knapsack, containing 
one change of underclothing, one package of matches, an extra pair of 
snow-goggles, a spare pair of moccasins, and a plug of navy tobacco. 

On the 1 6th Commander De Long issued an order, arranging details 
with a view io insuring as much method as possible, distributing the ofR- 



HARD WORK 805 

cers and men in five tents, the sixth being used for an office tent, and 
directing that the traveling be done by night, from 6 : 30 p. m. to 6 a. 
m., to avoid the intense daylight, and thus lessen the risk of snow-blind- 
ness. The tents were only nine by six feet, and required close stowage 
for six or seven men. Each tent had a fire-pot, a heavy galvanized iron 
kettle, in which a copper kettle was suspended, having under it an alco- 
hol lamp with a circular asbestos wick ten inches in diameter, and on top 
a stew-pan. A cook was detailed for each tent with an assistant to melt 
snow and draw rations. The sleeping accommodations were a Mackin- 
tosh rubber blanket of the size of the floor, and the usual Arctic sleeping 
bags of fur, covered with hairless sealskin. Each boat had the required 
number of oars, a box of tools, and the articles needed for repairs, and 
the arms and ammunition, as they had been apportioned. Having bur- 
dened themselves so heavily, the rate of progress was necessarily very 
slow. The ice pilot went ahead to select the best route, artd at intervals 
planted a black flag. To the points thus indicated all the working force, 
except four, hauled the first cutter, the second, the whale-boat and the 
five loaded sledges as rapidly as possible, while the special detail of four 
brought up the dog-sledges and the hospital sledge. 

On the 17th of June, at 6 p. m., they set out for the south, having 
meanwhile begun to drift to the northwest. Lieut. Danenhower, who 
had long been disabled through sore eyes, was only able to do light duty, 
and Lieut. Chipp had not fully recovered from the effects of the tin- 
poisoning. So the active superintendence of the working force devolved 
on Engineer Melville under the directions of the commander. Each 
officer and man was supplied with a working harness similar to those 
used by Parry and others. Hitherto all had been preparation, but now 
the downright hard work began, and the true nature of the task before 
them was soon vividly realized. The snow was knee-deep, the road very 
rough, and the ice full of fissures. Through the slight crust of the snow 
their feet sank easily, making even unincumbered traveling very weari- 
some. Over hummocks and huge blocks of ice, " that would have taken 
a whole corps of engineers to level," they had to haul the heavily loaded 
boats and sledges, while to cross the more narrow fissures they had to 



SJVO W-BL1NDNESS 



work up a special spurt and jump them. In three hours they had taken 
the cutter to the second black flag — -a distance of only a mile and a half. 
By 6 o'clock in the morning of the 18th, after the hardest twelve hours' 
work that any of them had ever performed, they had only succeeded in 
advancing the second cutter three-quarters of a mile, with the whale-boat 
ioo yards in the rear, and several of the sledges, more or less disabled, 
at intervals along the road, and the balance of their stock still in the 
original camp. Lieut. Chipp, in an effort to advance the hospital sledge, 
drawn by seven dogs, fainted from exhaustion, and was only restored by 
the help of Dr. Ambler. __, 

Two days were now spent in i^^^^^^^^ ^' 

repairing damages, and bringing 
up the rear. On the 19th Danen- 
hower was ordered to the hospital 
sledge, the commander doubtless 
being apprehensive of the danger % 1 

of his falling into some fissure if , H^|(^J 
allowed to go with the advance |f§|§i 
party. Apart from his partial ^ 

blindness he was one of the strong- ^SBk 
est of the party, and anxious to be Jfl 

of service in the heavy work, \ ^ 

which now fell on twenty-one men 
out of the thirty-three. On the 
20th they again pushed to the south 
in the same slow way, making one mile of advance while they traveled 
thirteen — seven times forward with boats and sledges, and six times back- 
ward without loads. On the 24th, after a week's progress of this sort, 
the commander found that they had drifted to the northwest with the floe, 
twenty-seven miles ! 

In crossing the wider fissures or lanes of water, sometimes a hundred 
yards wide, they got everything on to a loose block or cake of ice, which 
they proceeded to use as a rough ferry-boat. When still wider the boats 
were dismounted and rowed across, loaded with the sledges and stores. 




DR. J. M. AMBLER. 



A NEW ISLAND. 807 

The sick meanwhile became convalescent, and Chipp was soon able to 
lend very efficient aid, especially in superintending the ferrying business. 
Danenhower was still kept well in the rear, and carefully watched by 
Melville, who repeatedly helped him out of fissures into which he had 
stumbled. With one eye bandaged and the other protected by colored 
glass he frequently miscalculated distances, and falling short of the 
opposite bank, would fall in. Altogether, it was a dreadful retreat; so 
slow, so discouraging, with about a fourth of the company able to give 
little or no assistance in the heavy work, which was thus rendered a more 
intolerable strain on the energies of the working force. 

In the latter part of June the snow had all melted, and traveling be- 
came better, but they had to wade through pools of this thaw-water, and 
their feet were almost constantly wet. They were now able to advance 
two sleds at a time; but had frequently to jump with them from piece to 
piece in crossing leads. Still, the reduction from thirteen to seven trips 
was a great gain, and their progress was about twice as rapid. Their 
course had meanwhile been changed to 17 degrees west of due south, and 
while moving in this direction, on the 12th of July, they began to perceive 
indications of land ahead. At the same time they could notice a heavy 
" water-sky" to the south and southeast, showing the existence of exten- 
sive bodies of open water at those points, while in the direction they 
were following, the ice became more broken, and a more active move- 
ment had set in, making travel across it more difficult and dangerous. 
A week later it took twelve hours to advance a thousand yards over this 
mass of broken pieces, which unfortunately were not separated enough 
to permit the floating of the boats, while not close enough to allow any- 
thing but the most fragmentary and spasmodic sledging. At times they 
were forced to desist from all effort to advance, so utterly impracticable 
was the road. 

Still slowdy making toward the land, which daily grew more distinct, 
they were soon able to note some of its glaciers, mountain ranges, 
and water courses, and could no longer doubt that they had discovered a 
new island. On the 24th they were within two miles of land, but so 
utterly exhausted that they were forced to encamp on the ice. On re- 



TAKING TO THE BOATS. 809 

suming their labors they found that the drift had taken them three miles 
out of their course. They had spent four days skirting its eastern 
coast without being able to effect a landing, when, on the 29th of July, the 
fog lifted, and they beheld themselves in close proximity to the precip- 
itous shore, toward which the current had driven them. Along the 
shore a fringe of ground ice, narrow, rugged and broken, made the 
landing difficult. Getting all their goods on one floe-piece, they made a 
great effort to float it to the shore-ice, but it drifted off before all could be 
landed. By 7 p. m., however, all the men and stock were collected in one 
spot, when De Long unfurled the silken flag presented by his wife, took 
formal possession for the United States, and named it Bennett Island, in 
honor of the patron of the expedition. The southeast point, in 70 3S' 
by 148 3o' east, was named Cape Emma, in honor of Mrs. De Long. 
There were millions of "wild fowls on the cliffs, and in a few hours the 
men knocked down several hundred, which were divided among all 
hands. Driftwood was gathered, to save alcohol; and they went into 
camp for a week to repair, recuperate, and explore. They divided into 
small parties to examine the island, and collect geological, mineral and 
other specimens, while the carpenters were busy effecting repairs on the 
boats and sledges. 

They left Bennett Island on the 6th of August, by the three boats, 
with a fair prospect of making good progress through the water-lanes 
between the floes. The distribution of the officers and men in the three 
boats, and the description of the boats themselves, is here subjoined : — First 
cutter, Lieut. Geo. W. De Long, Dr. James M. Ambler, Jerome J. 
Collins, William C. F. Ninderman, Louis J. Noros, Hans H. Ericksen, 
Henry H. Kaach, Adolf Dressier, Carl A. Gantz, Walter Lee, Neils 
Iverson, George H. Boyd, Ah Sam, and Alexai — fourteen persons. Ex- 
treme length of the boat, 30 ft. 4 in.; breadth, 6 ft.; depth, 3 ft. 2 in. 
from top of gunwale to the top of keel; clinker built, copper fastened, 
inside lining; drew sS inches loaded, and had the greatest carrying capac- 
ity of the three; fitted with mast, and one shifting lug sail; pulled six 
oars, and was an excellent sea boat. She had a heavy oak keel piece to 
strengthen her in hauling over ice, and it was retained on reaching water. 



810 . THE BOATS' CREWS. 

In the second cutter were Lieut. Charles W. Chipp, ice pilot, Wm. 
Dunbar, Alfred Sweetman, Henry D. Warren, Peter E.Johnson, Edward 
Star, W. Sharwell, Albert G. Kuehne — eight persons. Extreme length 
of the boat, 16 ft. 3 in..; breadth, 5 ft. 1 in.; depth, 2 ft. 6 in., from top of 
gunwale to top of keel; clinker built, copper fastened, a very bad sea-boat; 
had one dipping lug sail and four oars. She had not sufficient carrying 
capacity for Chipp's allowance of provisions, so the captain had two extra 
tins of pemmican in his boat when they separated. 

In the whale-boat were Engineer Geo. W. Melville, Lieut. J. W. 
Danenhower, William Cole, James H. Bartlett, Raymond L. Newcomb, 
Herbert W. Leach, George Lauderbach, Henry Wilson, Frank Manson, 
Long Sing and Aniguin — eleven persons. Extreme length of boat, 25 
ft. 4 in. ; breadth, 5 ft. 6 in. ; depth, 2 ft. 2 in. from top of gunwale to top 
of keel ; clinker built, copper fastened, drawing about twenty-four inches 
when loaded, this being caused by the heavy oak keel piece, similar to 
those of the first and second cutters. She had one mast and one dipping 
lug sail. The master boat-builder at Mare Island said she was one of the 
best fastened boats that he had ever seen, and experience proved it, for the 
racket she stood on the journey over the ice was almost incredible. 

Of their original stock of dogs some had died of starvation, and others 
had been killed by their fellows. There were about twenty-three left, and 
eleven of the poorest of them were now killed, the remaining twelve, 
enough for one strong team, being taken aboard the boats. Ten of these 
soon disappeared, jumping on the passing floes in pursuit of game, and 
were left behind by the boats. 

From the 6th to the 20th of August they advanced at a fair rate be- 
tween the floes, sometimes making ten miles a day. They would have 
made much greater progress, had the water-lanes always opened to the 
southwest; as it was, they were frequently obliged to haul the boats out 
of one lane, make a portage over the floe, and again launch them, only 
to soon repeat the same process. On the 20th the second cutter got 
jammed among a number of floe-pieces that were suddenly driven to- 
gether, and they had to make a portage of about a mile to get her afloat 
again in the wake of the other two. Sometimes a passage was obtained 



THADDEUS ISLAND. 



811 




1 



only by prying the floe-pieces apart; but these would often spring back, 
and cut off the advance of the second or third boat. It was hard work, 
but not quite so hard and discouraging as dragging boats and sleds over 
hummocky ice. The final result of the apparently slight detention of 
the second cutter was quite serious. The twentv-five men of the other 
boats encamped on the ice while waiting several hours for Lieut. Chipp 
and his companions. The wind shifted, and during the ensuing night 
the ice got so jammed around them that the only movement made for 
the next ten days was such as was due to the drifting of the whole. This, 

however, brought them to the north 
coast of the middle one of the three 
principal islands forming the New 
Siberian group, known as Thad- 
deus,. or Faddeyev Island. They 
landed on the south side of the 
island on the 31st, after having with 
difficulty made their way south 
through the ice-blocked soun d 
which separates it on the east from 
the island which gives its name to 
the group. The period of detention 
was utilized in making repairs, and 
dividing the provisions between the 
boats in the ratio of the number of 
men in each. 

They found the island composed of mud hills that were wearing 
away rapidly, and forming shoals off the land. Beyond the low hills 
there was a wet, mossy tundra, upon which they camped for the night. 
All hands were then sent out hunting. Reindeer tracks and traces were 
numerous, but no live animals were seen. Bartlett reported that he 
found footprints in the sand made by a civilized boot. The steward 
found a hut about two miles west of the camp and a small piece of black 
bread, as well as a small tusk and a knee piece for a boat fashioned from 
a deer horn. The next morning they proceeded west along the shore, 




RAYMOND L. NEWCOMB. 



812 CHIPP MISSING. 

the water being very shoal, of which remains of several huts and quan- 
tities of driftwood were seen; also large numbers of ducks and wild fowls. 
Newcomb succeeded in getting about six brace, which were very wel- 
come. That night they tried to land, but after several ineffectual efforts 
gave up the attempt, as the water was too shoal for the boats. 

It was now determined to work along the shoal which divides Thad- 
deus Island from the third of the group to the west, known as Koltenoi 
Island. There was a moderate wind from the eastward, and the cap- 
tain tried to keep close in about four feet of water. The result was that 
the first cutter was constantly grounding and then laboriously getting off 
again. They continued on their course to the southward, the captain's 
boat getting in breakers atone time and calling for the whale-boat to pull 
him out. There was not much ice at the time, and it was decreasing. 
One day, about noon, they ran through a line of drift ice, and the whale- 
boat struck on a tongue that was under water. She began to fill rapidly, 
and had to be hauled out, but not before she was two-thirds full, could 
they reach a suitable ice piece. The plug had been knocked out, but 
she had sustained no other damage. Another time a heavy green sea 
swept over the whole port side and filled her to the thwarts; she stag- 
gered and commenced to settle, but every man with a baler in hand 
quickly relieved her, and she floated again. 

Chipp's boat was as usual astern and in the water-hole, and the 
others became anxious about his safety. The cutter hauled up about 7 
p. m., and camped with the whale-boat. The next day the gale was still 
blowing, and Chipp's boat still missing, so about 6 p. m. the commander 
hoisted a black flag. On the following day Bartlett reported that the 
ice was closing around, and that if they did not move they would be shut 
in. Two hours afterward all outlets were closed. Land was also in 
sight at this time, being Koltenoi Island. Ericksen was the first to see 
Chipp's boat, and presently two men were seen making their way over the 
floe, and jumping across the obstructions. It was Chipp, with Kuehne. 
His boat had been nearly swamped, and in a sinking condition; he had 
reached a piece of ice, and managed to haul up. Starr was the only man 
with his boat at that time who could walk, the others requiring ten or 



LAST TALK WITH CHIPP. 813 

fifteen minutes to get up circulation in their benumbed limbs. The cap- 
tain had previously given written orders that in case of separation each 
boat should make the best of its way to Lena River, but he had recom- 
mended touching at Koltenoi Island. Chipp had fortunately decided to 
follow these instructions, because he had not his allowance of food. All 
had been on half rations for some time. Chipp had remained on the ice 
about twenty-four hours, and then got a chance to get under way. He 
said that by making a portage of about two miles the others could launch 
their boats and fetch the land. He sent his men to assist, and after six or 
eight hours of terrible work they succeeded in getting the boats to the 
second cutter. That night they reached the southeast corner of Koltenoi 
Island and camped in a low cape extending well out from the mountain, 
and forming a beautiful bay. This was Sept. 6. They staid there about 
thirty-six hours. Large parties were sent out hunting, as numerous deer 
tracks had been seen. Next morning they got under way again and 
worked along shore until about noon, when they had to make a long and 
laborious portage, during which Mr. Dunbar fell down exhausted, and 
with palpitation of the heart. They continued until midnight, and then 
camped on a bleak, desolate spot. Next morning, Sept. 7, they shaped 
a course for the island of S'tolbovoi from the south point of Koltenoi, 
fifty-one miles distant to the southwest, and on the meridian of the Yana 
River. They had fresh breezes the first day, and during the night got 
into a very bad place and came very near being smashed up by drift ice. 
They passed in sight of Stolbovoi; but it was not considered worth while 
to land on the barren island, which was, besides, too distant. 

On the night of Sept. 9 they hauled up on a piece of ice off the 
north end of Semenovskoi Island, and there slept. On Sept. 10 
they rounded the north end of this island and came down the west 
shore, stopping to cook dinner, and to examine the island. They killed 
a deer, and remained there thirty-six hours. That evening Chipp 
came over and asked Danenhower to go out with him to get some ptar- 
migan, if possible. They came upon a large covey, but could not get a 
shot. This was Danenhower's last talk with Chipp. He was in better 
health than usual and was cheerful, but not altogether satisfied with the 



814 LAST ICE SEE IV. 

outlook. On Monday morning, Sept. 12, they left Semenovskoi 
Island and stood • to the southward, along the west side of the island, 
lying to the south. About half-past 11 a. m. they ran through a lot 
of drift ice. It was was the last piece of ice that they saw. They then 
started on a southwest course. The captain kept his boat almost right 
before the wind ; and as the whale-boat was the faster sailor it was hard to 
keep her in position. The orders were to keep astern of the captain, 
within easy hail, and for Chipp to bring up the rear, he being the 
second in command. The wind and sea increased very rapidly, and 
about 5 p. M. the whale-boat was out of position about 900 yards off the 
weather quarter of the first cutter. Melville then told Danenhower to 
take charge of the whale-boat. On the morning of the 13th no boats 
were in sight. 




t^i^_ "■»«&>> 



CHAPTER LXXXVIU. 

DE LONG'S CUTTER REACHES THE COAST HIS DIARY OF MISFOR- 
TUNES ALEXAI SEES A HUT ONLY A MOUND THE DOG FOR 

SUPPER ERICKSEN'S HANDS FROZEN — -FRIED DOG MEAT — THIRD- 
HAND TEA DEPARTING OF NINDERM4N AND NOROS THE 

FORTUNES OF THE WHALE-BOAT'S CREW HOSPITALITY OF AN 

EXILE LOSS OF CHIPP DE LONG'S DIARY CLOSES DEATH OF 

MOST OF THE PARTY DANENHOWER's STORY. 

The first cutter under immediate command of De Long, reached the 
Siberian coast on the 16th of September, but could not reach the shore 
by boat, being compelled to wade waist-high through freezing water 
and broken ice. It took the whole day to get their things ashore, all the 
company being worn out and frost-bitten, Ninderman and Noros only, 
being in anything like working condition. Unfortunately they struck 
one of the most northern, remote, and desolate of the mouths of the Le- 
na. It seems a strange fatality that first inspired De Long with the idea 
of making for the Lena. One can see of course, that the effort was to 
reach Iakoutsk by their boats through that navigable stream before it 
would get frozen over for the winter. Still, one can hardly forbear re- 
flecting on "what might have been" had they pushed directly for 
the Siberian coast. In half the three months they had consumed in 
making the trip by way of the New Siberian Islands, they would have 
reached the mouth of the Indigirka, and the village of Schewelewo, just 
above its delta. Again, had they on leaving Semenovskoi Island struck 
due south, they would have reached the Yana River, with the town of 
Ustyansk a little way above its delta, about two hundred miles from the 
sea. Entering the Lena, about eight hundred miles would have to be 
traversed by land or water before reaching Bulun, the first point of any 

importance. They traveled four days, and the Indian Alexai having 

815 



816 



DE LONG'S DIART. 




J r 



succeeded in killing two deer, the fourteen men and two dogs fared 
sumptuously. Four days more brought them to the extremity of a 
peninsula, and it was decided to pass over the river to the western side. 
While waiting for the river to freeze, Alexai killed a deer on the 30th, 
and they were again able to get momentary relief. On Oct. 1st, they 
crossed the mouth, or fork, along which they had traveled, to the west 
side, five hundred yards, on new ice. Lieut. De Long left this account: 

" Saturday, Oct. 1. — One hundred and eleventh day [from the abanr 
donment of the Jeannette], and „«-=*=»=. 

a new month. Called all hands *•=%_ 

as soon as the cook announced 
boiling water, and at 6:45 had 
our breakfast, half a pound of deer 
meat, and tea Sent Ninderman 
and Alexai to examine the main 
river, other men to collect wood. 
The doctor resumed the cutting 
away of poor Ericksen's toes this 
morning. No doubt it will have 
to continue until his feet are gone, 
unless death ensues, or we get to 
some settlement. Only one toe 
left now. Weather clear, light 
northeast airs, barometer 30.15 at 
6:05. The temperature 1S at 7:30 Ninderman and Alexai were 
seen to have crossed, and I immediately sent men to carry our load 
over. Left the following record : 

" 'Saturday, Oct. 1, 1881. — Fourteen of the officers and men of the 
United States Arctic steamer Jeannette reached this hut on Wednesday, 
Sept. 28, and, having been forced to wait for the river to freeze ovei*, are 
proceeding to cross to the west side this morning on their journey to 
reach some settlement on the Lena River. We have two days' pro- 
visions, but having been fortunate enough thus far to get game in our 
pressing needs, we have no fear for the future. 




GEO. W. MELVILLE. 



TWO HUTS IN SIGHT. 817 

" ' Our party are all well except one man, Ericksen, whose toes have 
been amputated in consequence of frost-bite. Other records will be 
found in several huts on the east side of this river, along which we have 
come from the north. 

"At 8:30 made the final trip, and got our sick man over in safety. 
From there we proceeded until 1 1 :3o, dragging our man on the sled. 
Halted for dinner, half a pound of meat, and tea. At 1 went ahead 
again until 5 : 05. Actually under way, 8 130 to 9 : 1 5, 1 to 1 140, 3 135 to 4, 
9:30 to 10:20, 1 150 to 2 :io, 4:15 to 4:35, 10:30 to 10:20, 2:20 to 2:40, 
4:45 to 5:05, 3 to 3:25. At 8 p. M. crawled into our blankets. 

" Sunday, Oct. 2. — I think we all slept fairly well until midnight, but 
from that time forward it was so cold and uncomfortable that sleep was 
out of the question. At 4: 30 we were all out and in front of the firee 
daylight just appearing. Ericksen kept talking in his sleep all night, and 
effectually kept those awake who were not already awakened by the 
cold. Breakfast at 5 a. m.— half pound of meat, and tea. Bright, cloud- 
less morning, light, northern airs ; barometer 30.30 at 5:32; temperature 
at 6, 35 . At 7 went ahead, following the frozen water whenever we 
could find it, and at 9 : 20 I felt quite sure we had gone some distance on 
the main river. I think our gait was at least two miles an hour, and our 
time under way 2h. 40m. I calculate our forenoon work at least six 
miles. 

"Two miles an hour distance make good ten to twelve miles, and 
where are we? I think it the beginning of the Lena River, at last. So- 
gaster [a village he had expected to have fallen in with] has been to us a 
myth. We saw two old huts at a distance, and this was all; but they 
were out of our road, and the day not half gone. Kept on the ice all the 
way, and therefore think we were over water; but the stream was so 
narrow and so crooked that it never could have been a navigable stream. 
My chart is simply useless. I must go on plodding to the southward, 
trusting in God to guide me to some settlement, for I have long since 
realized that we are powerless to help ourselves. A bright, calm, beauti- 
ful day brought sunshine to cheer us up. An icy road and one day's 
rations yet. Boats frozen, of course, and hauled up. No hut in sight, 



818 MAN'S TRACK SEEN. 

and we halt on a bluff to spend a cold and comfortless night. Supper — 
half pound meat, and tea. Built a rousing fire. Built a log bed. Set a 
watch, two hours each, to keep fire going, and get supper. Then we 
stood by for a second cold and wretched night. There was so much 
wind we had to put up our tent halves for a screen, and sit shivering 
under half blankets. 

"Monday, Oct. 3, 18S1. — 113th day. It was so fearfully cold and 
wretched that I served out alcohol to all hands, and on this we managed 
to live along until 5 a. m., when we ate our dinner, meat, and had more 
tea. Our morning meal now consists of 4-14 of a pound of pemmican 
each, and a half-starved dog. May God again incline unto our aid! How 
much farther we have to go before making a shelter or settlement, He 
only knows. Brisk winds, barometer 30.23 at 1 : 50 temperature. Erick- 
sen seems failing. He is weak and powerless, and the moment he closes 
his eyes, talks, mostly in Danish, German, and English. No one can 
sleep, even though our other surroundings permitted. For some cause 
my watch stopped at 10:45 ^ as ^- night "while one of the men on watch 
had it. I set it as near as I could by guessing, and we must run by that 
until I can do better. Sun rose yesterday morning at 6:40 by the watch 
when running all right. Total travel for two hours thirty-five minutes, 
say five miles. 

"Our force means work. I put as above five miles. Some time and 
distance was lost by crossing the river upon seeing numerous fox traps. 
A man's track was also seen in the snow, bound south, and we followed 
it until it crossed the river to the west bank again. Here we were 
obliged to go back again in our tracks, for the river was open in places, 
and we could not follow the man's track direct. Another of the dozen 
shoals that infest the river swung us off to the eastward, too, and I hast- 
ened to get on the west bank again, reaching there at 10 minutes to 13 
for dinner — our last four-fourteenths of a pound of pemmican. 

"At forty minutes past 1 got under way again, and made a long 
spurt until twenty minutes past 2. While at the other side of the river 
Alexai said he saw a hut, and during our dinner camp he said he again 
saw a hut. When reached, however, after a hard struggle, it was 



A DOG FOR SUPPER. 819 

nothing but a mound of earth. Sick at heart I ordered a camp to be 
made in a hole in the bluff face, and soon before a roaring fire we were 
drying, and burning our clothes, while the cold wind ate into our 
backs. " And now for supper nothing remained but the dog. I or- 
dered him killed and dressed by Iverson, and soon after a stew was made 
of such parts as could not be carried, of which everybody except the 
Doctor and myself eagerly partook. To us two it was a nauseating 
mess, and — but why go on with such a disagreeable subject. Warm we 
could not get, and getting dry seemed out of question. Every one seemed 
dazed and stupefied, and I feared some of us would perish during the night. 
How cold it was I don't know, as my last thermometer was broken by 
my many falls upon the ice, but I think it must have been below zero. 
A watch was set to keep the fire going, and we huddled around it, and 
thus our third night without sleep was passed. Ericksen's groans and 
rambling talk rang out on the night air, and such a dreary, wretched 
night I hope I shall never again see. 

' "Tuesday, Oct. 4—1 14th day. At the first approach of daylight we 
all began to move around, and the cook was set to work making tea. 
The Doctor now made the unpleasant discovery that Ericksen had got 
his gloves off during the night, and that now his hands were frozen. 
Men were at once set at work rubbing them, and by 6 A. M. had so far 
restored circulation as to risk moving the man. Each one has hastily 
swallowed a cup of tea, and got his load in readiness. Ericksen was 
quite unconscious, and we lashed him on the sled. At 10 a. m. Alexai 
went off to hunt, but returned at noon wet, having broken through the 
ice and fallen in the river. At 6 p. m. we roused up, and I considered it 
necessary to think of some food for my party. Half a pound of dog 
meat was fried for each person, and a cup of tea given, and that con- 
stituted our day's food, but we were so grateful that we were not ex- 
posed to the merciless southwest gale that tore around us, that we did 
not mind short rations." Ericksen died Oct. 6, at 8:45 a. m. The nar- 
rative of the intervening days consists of the same sickening account. 

"Sunday, the 9th. — All hands at 4:30. Half an ounce of alcohol. 
Read divine service. Sent Ninderman and Noros ahead for relief." 



820 MELVILLE'S FORTUNES. 

They started at 7. Noros thus records De Long's instructions: 
" If you find game, return to us; if you do not, go on to Kumak- 
suti." "All the men," says the same, " shook hands with us, and most 
of them had tears in their eyes. Collins was the last; he simply said: 
'Noros, when you get to New York, remember me.' They seemed to 
have lost hope, but as we left, they gave us three cheers. We told them 
we would do all that we could do, and that was the last we saw of them. 
We started without a particle of food. I had a pair of sealskin trousers. 
We cut pieces from these and chewed them until we were found by the 
natives. We were so weak we could hardly stand. I believe that if we 
had had to endure our sufferings for two days longer we would have shot 
ourselves. The natives took us to their camp and gave us plenty to eat 
and drink. The result was, we were both quite sick for some time. We 
were taken to a village, and from there to Bulun. At Bulun we tried to 
get a telegram sent, but could not make them understand. We supposed 
that we were the only two men alive out of the whole expedition. Then 
we heard of a boat's crew landing at one of the mouths of the Lena. 
The boat proved to be Melville's, and as soon as they learned of our 
arrival at Bulun they joined us at that place, so there were thirteen of us 
alive." 

HOW IT FARED WITH THE WHALE-BOAT'S PEOPLE. 

Meanwhile, the whale-boat, under Melville and Danenhower, with 
much difficulty and through great dangers, had entered the eastern 
mouths of the Lena, landing also on the 16th, — in 10S hours from Seme- 
novski, and three months from their first camp near the spot where the 
Jeannette went down. Here they found a deserted hut, and soon built a 
fire, nnd wearied as they were, prematurely huddled around its grateful 
glow before the circulation had been restored by a little healthful exer- 
cise. Danenhower alone had sufficient self-restraint to observe this pre- 
caution; and he was soon in much better condition than his comrades. 

On Saturday, the 17th of September, Melville's party proceeded up 
the river in the whale-boat, making about thirty miles, when they en- 
camped for the night on the bank. On Sunday, about 1 1 a. m., they 



FRIENDS INDEED. 



821 



noticed fwo huts, and concluded to land, and devote the remainder of the 
day to rest. It was the only day of real repose they had enjoyed for a 
long time. The very next day they fell in with three natives, of the 
Toungous tribe, and their safety was assured, though there were 
yet many delays and annoying hindrances from men and nature before 
they could reach the confines of civilization. On the 20th they made 
an unsuccessful attempt to push up the river without a pilot, and 
encountering shoals, they returned to camp. Meanwhile, their 
Toungous friends had summoned a man of some prominence in the 




EXTERIOR OF CONVICT-HUT IN SIBERIA. 

tribe, Vasili Koolgiyork, or Basil Cut-ear, who now received them with 
great kindness, and volunteered to serve as pilot. On the 21st they again 
set out with Vasili and two of the other Toungouses in three viatkas or 
canoes, sounding the way ahead, and in three days reached the camp of 
one Spiridon. Here Vasili was replaced by one of Spiridon's men as 
pilot, and on the 26th reached the small village of which Nicolai 
Shagra was chief, where they also met a Russian exile named Yaphem, 
or Euphemius, KopellofF. On the 27th they set forward again, with 



822 . A RUSSIAN EXILE. 

these two as pilots, but were compelled by bad weather and new ice to 
return to the village. It was now declared by Shagra that their best 
course would be to wait fifteen days for the freezing of the river, and then 
perform the journey by sledges. In point of fact, the river was frozen 
the next day, and in a week the ice was fit for sledging in some places. 
Another Russian exile, named Dimitri, or Jeremiah Kusmah, now vis- 
ited them, and took Danenhower to his hut. His wife, a Yakut woman, 
presented the visitor with some tobacco, a small bag of rye flour, some 
sugar, two bricks of tea, and some salt. Kusmah gave him a reindeer, 
weighing when dressed, ninety-five pounds, all of which were very ac- 
ceptable additions to their limited stores. Waiting for the ice to grow 
strong, the trip to the south was delayed until the 16th of October, when 
Kusmah and Shagra started for Bulun, to acquaint the Russian author- 
ities with their position and condition. A few days later, the enterpris- 
ing Danenhower made ^n effort, with the help of the friendly Toungouses 
and Kusmah, to reach Barkin, at the extreme northeast point of the Lena 
Delta, which he was assured was only about thirty-five miles away. He 
soon found, as the natives had asserted, that the ice was not strong enough, 
and returned, disappointed, after four days' absence. The envoys to 
Bulun did not get back until the 29th, bringing bread and supplies, and 
a kind letter from the commander of Bulun; also a very startling piece 
of intelligence to the Americans. At Bulkur, on their return, they fell in 
with two of De Long's party, Ninderman and Noros, who sent a letter 
to Melville acquainting him with the condition in which they had left 
their comrades. Taking Vasili as guide, Melville set out the next day 
for Bulun, and passed the Commander Baishoff on his way out, by 
another route, each reaching his destination on the 1st of November. 

De Long's diary continues: "Thursday, 13. — Willow tea. No 
news from Ninderman. Went down in a hole in the bank, and 
into camp. Sent back for Lee. He had laid down and was Waiting 
to die. All united in saying the Lord's Prayer, and' cried. After 
supper a strong gale of wind; horrible night. Friday. — Bi-eakfast, 
willow tea; dinner, one-half teaspoonful of sweet oil, and willow tea. 
Alexai shot one ptarmigan. Had soup. Wind moderating. Saturday, 



CLOSE OF DE LONG'S DIARY. 823 

Oct. 15. — Breakfast, willow tea, and two old boots. Conclude to move 
at sunrise. Alexai breaks down; also Lee. Come to empty grain raft; 
halt and camp. Smoke at twilight to southward. Sunday, Oct. 16. — 
Alexai broke down. Divine service. Monday— Alexai dying ; Doctor 
baptized him ; read prayers for the sick. Mr. Collins' birthday — forty 
years old. About sunset Alexai died of exhaustion from starvation. 
Covered in the ensign, and laid him in the crib. Tuesday — Calm and 
mild; snow falling; buried Alexai in the afternoon; laid him on the ice, 
and covered him with slabs of ice. Wednesday — Cutting up tent to 
make foot gear. Doctor went ahead to find new camp. Shifted by dark. 
Thursday — Bright and sunny, but very cold. Lee and Kaack clone up. 
Friday — Kaack was found dead about midnight between the Doctor 
and myself. Lee died about noon. Read prayers for the sick when we 
found he was going. Saturday — Too weak to carry bodies of Lee and 
Kaack out on the ice. The Doctor, Collins, and myself carried them 
around the corner out of sight. Then my eyes closed up. Sunday — 
Everybody pretty weak; slept or rested to-day, and then managed to 
get enough wood in by dark. Read part of the divine service. Suffer- 
ing in our feet; no foot gear. Monday — A hard night. Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday, 27th, the one hundred and thirty-seventh day: 
Iverson broken down. Friday — Iverson died during the early morning- 
Saturday, 29th — Dressier died during the night. Sunday, Oct. 30. — 
One hundred and fortieth day. Boyd and Gortz died during the night. 
Mr. Collins dying." 

This is the end of De Long's diary. De Long, Surgeon Ambler, 
and Ah Sam, the cook, must have died soon after the last note was 
written. 



CHAPTER LXXXIX. 

THE LOSS OF THE JEANNETTE PROCLAIMED MELVILLE STARTS IN 

SEARCH OF DE LONG HIS PLAN MELVILLE FINDS THE BODIES 

OF DE LONG AND PARTY GILDER'S STORY THEIR COMMON 

GRAVE NO TRACES OF CHIPP THE SURVIVORS RETURN HOME 

CASKETS FORWARDED FORMAL EXAMINATION OF DANEN- 

HOWER AND MELVILLE SCHEMES TO REACH THE POLE POLAR 

SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 

And now, on the 19th of December, the news of the disaster 
was flashed over the civilized world, the first telegram from St. Peters- 
burg being: "The Governor of Eastern Siberia announces that the 
American polar ship, Jeannette, has been found, and her crew succored." 
Telegrams, letters and interviews followed, and the main facts came to the 
knowledge of their countrymen and the government, which took speedy- 
measures to do everything possible for the comfort of the survivors, and 
gather all ascertainable facts relating to the lost, being ably seconded by 
Mr. Bennett and the Russian government. 

The Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, who happened to be in 
St. Petersburg, when he received information of the arrival of the ship- 
wrecked crew of the Jeannette in the region under his command, imme- 
diately proceeded to Gatschina and saw the Emperor, who personally 
ordered that all supplies that were necessary for food, clothing, money 
and transportation, should be placed at their disposal. 

About Dec. 29 Melville arrived at Iakoutsk, from his first trip 
in search of De Long. He had found a larger working force neces- 
sary, and also the official indorsement of the Russian authorities at that 
point. He had been gone twenty-three days from Bulun, and had traced 
De Long as far as a summer hunting station called Sisteransk, on the 

west bank of the Lena, and that the party must be between that point 

82 + 



826 MELVILLE IN SEARCH OF BE LONG. 

and Bulkur, neither of which places is marked on the maps. There was 
no hope that they were still alive, as the region is devoid of game as well 
as of inhabitants. The commandant at Bulun was to continue the search 
with such resources as he could command, while Melville went forward 
to headquarters to secure the co-operation of the higher authorities at 
Iakoutsk. Two days later the rest of the men arrived from Bulun; and 
on New Year's Day, 1S82, the thirteen survivors of the "American Polar 
Expedition" of 1879, were at Iakoutsk, the local capital of Northeastern 
Siberia, in latitude 62 °, and longitude 129 44' east, with a resident 
population — half Russian, half Yakouts and others — of about 5,000. The 
most of the company were in good physical condition; but Danenhower's 
left eye was completely disabled, and the right one endangered through 
sympathy. Cole was mentally affected — a mild type of insanity, and 
Leach was suffering from frozen feet. The trip from Bulun had taken 
thirty-six days. 

On the 8th of January, Danenhower and nine others proceeded 
southwest to Irkoutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia, latitude 52 ° 17' 
2", and longitude 104° 16' 21" east, with a population of about 
33,000 — a trip of over 1600 miles. On their arrival they were 
received in the most courteous and hospitable manner by citizens 
and officials, being invited to social gatherings and popular festivities, 
at all of which they behaved with great care, and won golden opinions 
from their hosts. They were all lodged together at the house of Mr. 
Strelofsky, the private secretary of Gen. Pedachenko, the vice-governoi"- 
general of Eastern Siberia. 

On the 27th of January, 1882, Melville started again for the north in' 
search of what he felt would be the remains and relics of De Long and 
his party. He was accompanied by Ninderman and Bartlett of the ship's 
company, and organized three searching parties. The first was headed 
by Ninderman and the Russian Lobokoff; the second by Bartlett and 
Sergeant Koliukin; and the third by himself and Gronbeck — each with 
a dog-sledge and Yakout driver. 

The search was to be carried on by the three parties as follows: — "I 
propose," he says, "to establish a depot at Bulun for all supplies — center of 



DE LONG'S BODY FOUND. 827 

operations at 'Two Crosses', near Mount Yai — one party to go as far 
north as Sisteransk and work back to Two Crosses; one party to work 
south half-way to Bulkur ; one party to work from Bulkur north to Two 
Crosses. These three parties shoukl be able to search the whole of the 
country between Sisteransk and Bulkur in twenty days after leaving 
the depot. This being completed, the depot will be moved to Catbcon- 
tee, between Sisteransk and Ouvina; one party to follow the northern 
and western branches of the Lena as far as the river Olenek; second 
party to follow the northwestern branch of the Lena and work up to- 
ward Upper Bulun; the third party to work from Upper Bulun on the 
northwest coast southwest, to meet the second party. This will complete 
the search for Lieutenants De Long and Chipp as far west as the Inner 
Olenek." 

All supplies were to have been at Bulun on Feb. 15; and the 
searchers were to be in the wilderness by March 1. "I can search 
all the coast," says Melville, "between March 1 and June, when the 
floods set in so badly we cannot work, and eveiwthing that is on mod- 
erately low ground will be swept away. I kept all useful men with me 
and have hired three others from Yakutsk, and will get additional assist- 
ance from the Cossack commandant at Bulun, and if the people are on 
the ground they will be found." 

March 12, 1S82, Mr. Jackson — a correspondent of the Herald, who 
had been sent forward by Mr. Bennett on receipt of first tidings of the 
loss of the Jeannette — started north from Irkoutsk. 

Mr. Gilder, who it will be remembered brought the news of the loss 
of the Rodgers to Verchoyansk, and then turned his attention to the 
search for the missing members of the Jeannette Expedition, forwarded 
from the Lena Delta, April 13, the following account of the finding of 
the bodies of De Long and his ten companions, and their burial : " Mel- 
ville found the bodies of De Long's party March 23d. They were in 
two places, five hundred and one thousand yards from the wreck of the 
scow. Melville's searching party first started from the supply depot to 
follow Ninderman's route from Usterday to Malvey, and afterward from 
Malvey back toward Usterday. They stopped at the place which Nind- 




828 



BURIAL OF DE LONG AND PARTY. 829 

erman and Noros passed the first day after they left, De Long feeling 
sure that the others had not got much further. There they found the 
wreck, and following along the bank, they came upon a rifle-barrel hung 
upon four sticks. They set the natives digging on each side of the sticks, 
and they soon came upon the two bodies under eight feet of snow. 

" While these men were digging toward the east, Melville went on 
along the bank, twenty feet above the river, to find a place to take bear- 
ings. He then saw a camp-kettle and the remains of a fire about a thou- 
sand yards from the tent, and, approaching, nearly stumbled upon De 
Long's hand, sticking out of the snow, about thirty feet from the edge of 
the bank. Here under about a foot of snow, they found the bodies of 
De Long and Ambler, about three feet apart, and Ah Sam lying at their 
feet — all partially covered by pieces of tent, and a few pieces of blanket. 
All the others except Alexai they found at the place where the tent was 
pitched. Lee and Kaach were close by in a cleft in the bank toward the 
west. Two boxes of records, with the medicine chest and a flag on a 
staff, were beside the tent. None of the dead had boots. Their feet 
were covered with rags tied on. In the pockets of all were pieces of 
burnt skin and of clothing of which they had eaten. The hands of all 
were more or less burned, and it looked as if when dying they had 
crawled into the fire. Boyd was lying over the fire, and his clothing 
burned through to the skin, which was not burned. Collins' face was 
covered with a cloak. 

All the bodies were carried to the top of a hill three hundred feet 
high, about forty versts to the southwest from where they were found, 
and there interred in a mausoleum constructed of wood from the scow, 
built in the form of a pyramid, twenty-two feet long and seven high, sur- 
mounted by a cross twenty-two feet high and a foot square, hewn out of 
driftwood, and conspicuous at a distance of twenty versts. The mauso- 
leum was covered with stones, and is to be sodded in the spring. The 
cross is inscribed with the record and name of the dead, cut in by the 
search party." 

Toward the end of March, Danenhower, Newcomb, Cole and Long 
Sing set out from Irkoutsk on the long trip for home. On the 29th 



830 



A RECEPTION IN NEW TORK. 



they were at Krasnoyarsk, making easy marches to the west, and on 
the 1st of May arrived at St. Petersburg. About a week later they 
left Cronstadt for Hull, England, and on the 28th of May, 1882, they 
were in New York — the first arrivals from the Jeannette — where they 
were received with much enthusiasm. Similar receptions followed at 
Philadelphia and Washington. 

Melville wrote from Iakoutsk on the 27th of March, that he would 
leave for Bulun on the 29th. He had concluded that the steamer 
Lena — which was to be turned over to him as the representative of Mr. 




TlIJi JEANNETTE SEARCH fc-XFEDITlON. 

Bennett, by the representative of Mr. SibiriakofF — would be useless for 
his purpose. He preferred to engage a steam launch to come down to 
Bulun for news, or to take him back in June. On the 2d of April he 
wrote from Karaga Terinsky, seventy miles north of Iakoutsk, that he 
met the ispravnik who had accompanied Mr. Gilder to Verchoyausk, 
and that the latter had gone in search of the survivors of the Jeannette. 

On the 8th of April Secretary Hunt cabled Lieut. Harber authority 
to draw for the funds necessary to hire the steamer Lena for a season; 
but the contract was not completed, and another was purchased, which 




831 



832 OFFICIAL EXAMINATION. 

was to be found on the Vitim River, a confluent of the Lena. Subse- 
quent dispatches told of the severe horseback journey of Harber, Scheutze, 
and their party over the mountains from Irkoutsk to Vitimsk, the post- 
road along the Lena being impassable through water and ice. They ar- 
rived on the 28th of April, and it was expected the Lena would be free 
of ice on the 1st of June, and then would commence the voyage north 
in search of the remains and relics of Chipp's party. Meanwhile, the 
party were busy building boats and dories for use with the vessel in ex- 
ploring the mouths of the riven With the consent of the Secretary of 
the Navy, the six well men of the Jeannette, still remaining at Irkoutsk, 
volunteered to serve under Harber and Scheutze in the search for their 
missing comrades. 

On September 2d, eleven hermetically sealed and otherwise specially 
construsted caskets were sent out from New York, to be used in bring- 
ing home for permanent burial, the bodies of De Long and his 
companions. 

On the 13th of September, Engineer Melville, with Ninderman and 
Noros, and Lieut. Berry of the Rodgers, arrived in New York, where 
they received a cordial greeting, followed by similar demonstrations at ' 
Philadelphia and Washington. 

In the months of October and November a formal inquiry into the 
loss of the Jeannette, and many of her officers and men, was made by 
a special committee of Congress, appointed in advance for that purpose. 
Lieut. Danenhower and Engineer Melville were orally examined with 
great minuteness of detail, and each submitted a formal and full report- 
Nothing different from the foregoing narrative was developed. There 
hps been no serious doubt at any time in the minds of reflecting men that 
they all did their duty to the best of their knowledge and ability. Nor 
is there any evidence of serious misunderstanding between the officers, as 
has been sometimes alleged. Mistakes and miscalculations were inevita- 
ble, and they began from the first, and did not end till the close of the 
ill-planned, ill-fated expedition. The careful reader of this volume or 
voyages will have no difficulty in detecting many; and it would serve no 
good purpose to more definitely point them out. 



STATIONS TOR OBSERVATIONS. 833 

POLAR SCIENTIFIC COLONIES. 

The chain of international scientific stations around the Polar Basin, 
suggested a few years ago, was completed in the summer of 1882. The 
observations were to commence on the 1st of August, 1S82, and to close 
on the 1st of September, 18S3. They were to be taken hourly each day; 
and -were to comprise meteorology, astronomy, terrestrial magnetism and 
auroral displays, together with some optical investigations. The instru- 
mental equipments of the several corps of observation, as well as the 




COMMANDER CHEYNE'S PLAN FOR REACHING THE POLE. 

abilities of the practical scientists comprising them, insure as tnorough 
work as will be found practicable in those high latitudes. They are dis- 
tributed as follows: 

The United States has two, both established in August, i88i,to afford 
ample time for preliminary observations and partial acclimation before 
commencing the preconcerted work nearly a year later. One is at Lady 
Franklin Bay, under Lieut. A. W. Greeley, fully provisioned for two 
years, and consists of four officers, besides the commander, and nineteen 
men of the United States Signal Service Corps, and one newspaper cor- 



834 THE EUROPEAN STATIONS. 

respondent. The steam-whaler Neptune attempted to carry forward a 
relief party and additional stores, leaving New York July 8, 1S82, but 
was stopped by pack-ice in latitude 79 20', or about 160 miles short of 
her destination. She, however, established supply depots for the use of 
the colony on their return. The other American colony is at Point Bar- 
row, under Lieut. Ray, with a similar corps of assistants, and similarly 
supplied. England and Canada have one colony at Fort Simpson, inter- 
mediate between the two of the United States; and Denmark has one 
on the west coast of Greenland, the four covering about 100 degrees of 
longitude, and the American division of this circumpolar cordon of sci- 
entific stations. Denmark has also a Polar expedition out in the Dympna, 
under Lieut. Hovgaard, a volunteer subordinate of Nordenskiold;- in the 
Vega, in 1878-9. 

Austria-Hungary has a station at Jan Mayer Island; France one at 
Spitzbergen, Sweden and Norway also one at Spitzbergen, and one at 
Altengaard, in Finnmark; and Russia, one at Nova Zembla. These 
five, together with Hovgaard's movable station, in the region of Franz- 
Jcsef Land, cover eighty degrees of longitude, and constitute the European 
division. 

Russia has her chief station on the Lena Delta, under Nicholas Jur- 
gens, an officer of the corps of pilots, with Doctor Bangs, Mathematician 
and Engineer, nine soldiers, and two Cronstadt marines, besides such 
additional help as they may need, to be supplied by the government of 
Eastern Siberia. The Netherlands have one at Port Dickson, at the 
mouth of the Yenisei ; and a movable one, the steamer William Barenz, 
under Lieut. Hofman, who is under orders to make a prolonged cruise 
for purposes of meteorological and other scientific observations, in the Arc- 
tic Ocean. Germany has one station in the North Pacific. These four 
constitute the Asiatic division, and cover very inadequately the remaining 
1 So degrees, or as much as the other ten. Germany has a second station 
on the Gulf of Georgia, but this of course is in no proper sense a Polar 
station. 




833 



INDRX. 



Page. 

Absurd, the answer of ignorance 21 

Admiralty, action of, in regard to Franklin.... 3S1 
" " strike the name of Franklin and 

men from navy list 437 

Advance, the, in command of De Haven 441 

" " " " " Kane. 4S9 

Adverse circumstances, rising above 196 

Alaska, the Jeannette at 7S3 

Alert, the 674 

Allen, Capt. of the Ravenscraig 657 

Alliance, the Soi 

Aleutian Islands ..222 

Alexai 753 

Alexander, the 162 

Ambler, J. M. surgeon of the Jeannette crew.. 748 

America, incidentally discovered _. 27 

" discovery of, by Columbus 30 

" results of discovery - 32 

" North discovered 27 

" " re-discovered 35 

" French voyages to 39 

Ancients, ideas of, concerning the North .... 19 

Andrejew 221 

Aninj River, the 250 

Anjou 254 

Annual oil boat - 531 

Ansel Gibbs, the 554 

Archangel, voyages prosecuted from 136 

Arctic voyages, interval in 105 

" seas,nrst knowledge 19 

" voyages, early 71 

" "" first" English 71 

" Ocean, Siberian, explored 120,125 

" wintering in the... 62, 77, 92, 97, 501, et. al 

" overland expedition 139, 150, 20S 

"Argo, the Greek ship 20 

Around the world, first voyage 38 

Asia, notions about the north coast of 42 

Atmosphere, refraction of 553 

Auk, the home of 44S 

Auroral displays 725 

Austin, Capt., commands search squadron. . . .409 

Austro-Hungarian expedition. 659 

Avatchi Bay 136 

Back, Lieut., with Franklin 197 

" voyage in the Terror 353 

" overland expedition 516 

Baffin, William, voyages of S4 

" Arctjc voyages of S6 

" discovers Baffin's Bay 87 

" scientific observations of 8S 

Banks' Lan 1 429 

Baranich.i River 249 et. seq. 

Baranow Rock 235 

Barentz, William, voyages of 59 

" reaches Nova Zembla 59 

" locked in the ice 60 

" in winter quarters 62 

" death and burial of 64 

Barrow Straits 333, 377, 423 

Bears, attacked by 248 

" destructive tendency of .... . 5°^ 

Beechey, Capt., in search of Northwest Pass- 
age 314 



Page. 

Beechey Island , 452 et. al. 

Behring, voyages of 1 25 

" discovers Behring's Strait 128 

Belcher, Sir Edward, in command of fleet 427 

" abandons five ships. •••433 

Bellot, Rene 412 

Bennet, Steven, voyage of 71 

Bennett, James Gordon, purchases the Pan- 
dora 747 

Bennett fits out Jeannette Expedition 748 

Bessel, Dr. Emil, in Polaris 642 

Bienenkorb, the ship 631 

Block, Adriaen, voyage of 90 

Bloody Falls, on the Coppermine 394 

Booth. Sir Felix, fits out Ross 331 

Buchan in Dorothea and Trent 161 

Buddington, Capt. Sidney O., with Hall 54S 

Burial at sea ' 550 

Burroughs, Stephen, voyage of 42 

Butterflies, hunting 365 

Button, Sir Thomas, voyage of 83 

Bylot, voyage of S6 

Cabots, voyages of 55 

Cabots, Sebastian, theory of Northeast Pas- 
sage 40 

Cabot's, second voyage of 37 

Cannibalism, supposed, of Franklin's crew . . .440 

Carthage, founded 20 

Cartier, Jacques, voyages of 39 

Cator, Lieut., in Franklin search 436 

Cavendish. Thomas, voyage 51 

Chancellor, voyage of 40 

Charlemagne's Franks resist the Norsemen.. . 24 

Chippewyan, Fort .204 

Chipp, Lieut., Chas. W. with Jeannette 748 

Christian, Hans, with Kane 491 

" " with Haves 607 

" " with Hall 643 

Christmas in the Arctic 666, 722 

Church in Greenland 478 

Clavering, with Sabine, explores east coast of 

Greenland 306 

Clavering Island ..632 

Clerke, Capt., takes command of Cook's ship . . 148 

Coal, on Kuhn Island 635 

'• discovered by Hall 580 

Cole, William, with Jeannette 748 

Cold, intense, pole of greatest 489 

Collins, J J. in Jeannette party 74S 

Collinson, Capt., in the Enterprise 415 

Colonies, English, in America 76, 93 

Colonization voyages 93 

Columbus, voyages of 30 

Comments on Arctic navigation 739, 740 

Compasses, affected by iron in ship 476 

Congress, action of, regarding Franklin search44i 

Constitution, Cape 511 

Coppermine River 208 

Corneliszoon, Cornelius voyage of 58 

Cortereal Gaspar, voyages of 30 

Cor win, the, in search of the Jeannette 775 

Crozier, Capt., record left by 540 

Daly, Judge, furthers Schwatka's voyage 6S7 

Danenhower, Lieut. , John W 74S et. seq. 



838 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Danes, voyages of 91, 151 

Danish hospitality 532 

Davis, Capt. John 52 

" arrives in Greenland . . 53 

" importance of his voyages 54 

Dease, overland journey of 360 

De Haven, Lieut. E. J. in command of first 

Grinnell Expedition 441 

De Haven, report to Secretary of Navy 471 

De Long, Lieut. Geo. W. in command of Jean - 

nette Expedition 74S 

De Long, diar v of 816 

" death of S23 

" found and buried by Melville 829 

" grave of S29 

Deshniev, the Cossack 121 

De Veer, Gerritt, with Barentz 60 

" becomes historian of voyage 60 

Devil's Nip, De Haven's crew escapes from... 469 

Thumb 468 

Discoverv, the ship 674 

Discipline, Kane compels 526 

"Docto Kayens" 529 

Dogs, Esquimaux 257, 524, 499, 762 

Drake, Sir Francis, voyage of 50 

Drift of the pack, -vith McClintock 536 

" " " with De Haven 456 

" " " with Tvson 653 

' " " with "VVevprecht 664 

" " " with De Long " t (& 

Ducks, eider 514 

Ebierbing, Joseph, with Hall 560 

" " with Schwatka oSS 

Eggs, feast on 530 

Eira, vovage of in search of Jeannette Soo 

Elberg, Governor 551 

English, Arctic voyages of 161,586, 674 

Enterprise, voyage ofthe 415 

" Fort 209 

" of Muscovv Company 40 

Eothen the, voyage of , 6S7 

Erebus and Terror, voyage of 376 

Eric the Red 27 

Ericksen, sufferings and death of 819 

Esquimaux 193, 274, 386,- 529, 555 

Ewerat, a sorceror 277 

Exile, hospitality of S22 

Expedient, a novel 402 

Expeditions, Arctic, early 7 , 15S 

" first of nineteenth century. .. 159, 370 

" Franklin search 373 , 5S6 

" Recent jSn, 736 

Fanny A. Hyde 762 

Fiords, of Greenland 634 

Fiskernses 478 

Fotherbv, Robert, voyage of 86 

Fox, Luke, voyage of 95 

Fox, McCIintock's voyage in the 534 

Franklin, Sir John, biography of 196 

" first voyage of, to Arctic regions .... 19S 

" second 2SS 

last 374 

" search for 371 -SS5 

' ' record of death 540 

" name stricken from navy list 437 

" relics of 439 

" Lady, devotion of 4 3S 

Franks resistNorthmen 24 

Frederichstahl, Hansa crew arrive at 630 

Frobisher, Sir Martin, voyages of 43 

" his alleged gold 45 

." his hopes destroyed 46 

Furv and Hecla, voyage of 266 

" " " Strait ...2S1 

Geographical Society, Kane addresses 4S9 

George Henry, the whaler 546 

Georgiana, the brig 559 

Germania, the ship, voyage of . . . . 631 

" returns home 639 



Page. 

German Polar expedition 623 

Gibbons, Capt. , voyage of 80 

Gilbert, Sir Humphrey, voyage of 47 

" " " takes possession of 

Newfoundland 47 

Gilder, with Schwatka 688 

Gillam, Nathaniel, voyage of 112 

Glaciers 49S, 600, 582 

Gold, Frobisher's load of 45 

Gotthaab, colony founded 151 

Graah, observations of 629 

Grave of Franklin's men 453 

"Hall 647 

" " Lieut., Irving discovered 690 

" " De Long and party S29 

Great Fish River 348 

Greenland, early settlement of 19, 27 

" black death in 26 

piety 478 

Grinnell, Henrv, benevolence of 441 

expedition, first 442 

expedition, second 4S9 

expedition, third 5 (.5 

Land, discovered 471 

" otherwise named by British. ..472 

Guides, procuring .205 

Gulf Stream, influence on waters of Nova 

Zembla 661 

Gulnare, cruise of the 780 

Hall, James, voyage of . . S4 

Chas. Francis, receives "call" 545 

" sails in George Henry 547 

" returns from first voyage 586 

" second voyage of 640 

" third voyage of 642 

" sickness and death of 646 

Hammerfest, description of town 306 

Hansa, voyage of German ship 626 

' ' wreck of 628 

Hartstene, Lieut., in search of Kane 531 

Hawkins, Sir John, voyage of 49 

Hayes, Dr. I. I., with Kane : 508 

" "in steamer United States 5S9 

" " baffled by Smith's Sound.... 614 

" '• death of 622 

Hearne, Samuel, sails by Hudson Bay 139 

Hecla and Fury Straits 2S1 

Herjulfson, Biarne 27 

Herodotus' account of Hyperboreans 19 

Hesperis, noticed by Kane 49S 

Hobson, Lieut., discovers record of Crozier. . 53S 

Holsteinborg 552, 474 

Hood, with Franklin 197 

" murdered by Indian guide 218 

Horn, Cape, first voyage around 90 

Hudson Bay discovered 77 

" Henry, voyages of ... . 74 

" " attempts North Pole route 74 

" " discovers Manhattan Island. .. 75 

" " mutinv of his men .... So 

Humboldt Glacier 507,611 

Hunger, exhaustion from 216, S17 

Huts of Esquimaux , . . 173 

Iakoutsk 229, 2^0 

Ice, nipped in 354, 405, 455, 530, 768 

" rapid motion of 493 

" Sea of ancient 677 

"Pala;ocrystic 684 

Icebergs, their source 50S 

forms of 662 

first seen 199, 549 

blink 662 

floe 444 

field 627, 651 

Iceland, discovered and colonized by Norse- 
men 26 

Iceland, perhaps discovered by Pytheas 21 

" self-governing 26 

black death in 26 



INDEX. 



839 



Page. 

Idols, of Samoyeds .... 70 1 

Igloo S 1 7 

Iglooklik Island 279 

Iligliuk, intelligence of 379 

illusions Arctic 553 

India, which way to ? no 

inglefield, Commander E. A., voyage of 473 

fnnuits, see Esquimaux 

Instructions, official 3S2, 397, 490, 443 

Intrepid, H. M. S. voyage of 409 

Irkoutsk .229,260 

Irving, Lieut, in Franklin's last voyage 376 

" grave of 689 

Isabella, the steamer 473 

" Cape 619 

Jakuts 229, 2'-.o 

James, Thos., voyage of 95 

" discovers James' Bay 97 

J in Mayen Island * 626 

Jeannette, the, fitted out by Mr. Bennett 74S 

" leaves San Francisco Bay 750 

" arrives at Ounalaska 773 

" enters the Arctic 706 

'■ beset 70S 

" sinking of 790 

" relief expeditions 766,780 

Jones' Sound, explored by Inglefield 480 

Kamchatka, subjugation of 121 

Kane, Dr. E. K., biography of 482 

" with De Haven _ 441 

" receives soubriquet of "Mad Yankee" .4:1 
" commands Second Grinnell Expedition. 490 

freat buoyancy and moral power of 509 
ecides to abandon the Advance 527 

" arrives at Upernavik 332 

" last sickness and death 535 

" results of voyage 532 

Kara Sea 704 

Kayak, description of .591 

Kellett, in Franklin search 40S 

" discovers Wrangell Eand 409 

Kendall, Lieut., voyage of, to the Coppermine 295 

Kennedy Channel 5 10 

Kingaite .' 576 

King William's Land 53S 

Knight, John, murdered by natives 73 

Koldewey, Capt. Carl, eulogy on ..624 

" commands German Expedition ..624 

Kolyma River 229, 2io 

Kolymsk Nishni 229, 260 

" Wrangell's visit to 232 

Kuehne with Jeannette crew 74S 

Labrador, discovery of 27 

" voyages along the coast of 43, 46 

Lamps of Esquimaux 561 

Lancaster Sound 166, 409 

La Plata, voyage to 38 

Laptew Brothers 220 

Latitude reached by Parry 189 

'• " Kane 498 

" ■" Polaris 643 

" " Nares 6S4 

Lawrence, St. Bay of 755 

Lena River, ascent of 716 

" " Wrangell's journey down 231 

" " De Long's attempted journey to . . S03 

Lichen, tripe-de-roche 216 

Lotila, the ship 778 

Lyon, Capt , prayer for help 312 

Lvchius 498 

MacKenzie, Alexander 150 

" River, descent of 131 

McClintock Sir Leopold 534 

" in Belcher's fleet 400 

'* in command of Fox 535 

" drift down Baffin's Bay 5 jo 

' ' on King Williams Land 53S 

" finds relics of Franklin 539 

" results of voyage 544 



Page. 

McClure, Capt. Robert L 415 

" in command of Investigator 410 

" alone in the Arctic 417 

" predicts a Northwest Passage 421 

" in search for 429 

abandons Investigator .... 430 

Magicians 708 

Magellan, Ferdinand 38 

" discovers Magellan Straits 38 

Magnetic Island 203 

" Pole discovered 33S 

Magnetism, observations on 379, 544 

Mahue, James, vovage of 68 

Mariners' Enterprise, English 71 

Markham reaches high latitude 6S4 

Matinschkin 229, 2'5o 

Matotschkin, Schar 229, 260 

Melville Bay 446, 468 

" Geo. W., engineer of Jeannette 748 

" " " finds De Long and crew...S26 

" " " official examination of 832 

Meyers, Fred, narrow escape of 650 

Middendorf in Taimurland 304 

" saved by a Samoyed chief 369 

Mock Suns 61 

Morton, William, discovers a supposed open 

sea 510 

Munk, Jens, voyage of 91 

Muscovy Company, enterprise of 40 

Mussel Bay 325 

Nares, Sir Geo., Arctic journey of 674 

" reaches high latitude 683 

" conclusions regarding the Pole 685 

Ne wcomb, Raymond L. in Jeannette 748 

Newfoundland colonized by Gilbert 47 

Newspapers, Arctic 183, 362 

Nipped mice 354, 403, 453, 536, 76S 

Nishni Kolymsk 229, 260 

Nomenclature, Arctic. 444 

Nordenskiold, Prof. A. E 692 

" preparation of, for Arctie ex- 
ploration 696 

Nordenskiold sails in the Vega 701 

" accomplishes Northeast Passage7i3 

" receives ovations 731 

" results of voyage 736 

" Noros, sent out with NindermanS2o 

Norsemen, origin of 22 

" sea-life of 23 

Norse viking, significance of name 24 

" chief pursuits of 23 

Northeast Passage, Dutch attempts to find. 71, 130 

North Pole, attempts to reach 321, 674, 737, 835 

" " Commander Cheyne's plan for 

reaching S33 

Northmen, see Norsemen 

Northwest Passage, early attempts to find.. 40, 46 

" " M'Clure discovers 421 

" " supposed discovery by 

Franklin '. 37S 

Northumberland Inlet 55S 

Nova Zembla, Barentz' voyage to 64 

" " Wevprecht and Paver sail by.. .662 

" " seas, influence of the Gulf 

Stream on 66 T 

Observations, scientific of Arctic explorers 

443. 544. 4S9 

Ommanev, Capt., in Franklin search 409 

" ■• discovers first relics of Frank- 
lin 4S 1 

Onman Cape, reached by the Vega 71S 

Ook-gook, weight of 572 

Oomiak ... 293 

Open Sea, supposed discovery of 510 

Orange Islands, Barentz' visit to 64 

Osborn, Lieut. Sherrard, in Pioneer and In- 
trepid 434 

Ounalaska 753 

Pains of hunger and cold 204 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Parry, Capt. William Bdward 162 

" first voyage of 168 

" enters Arctic circle 170 

" trials and pastimes of, in winter 176 

" describes native dress and manners. ... 193 

" second voyage of 260 

" in winter quarters 271 

" third expedition 296 

Passage, Northwest, discovered 421,37s 

" Northeast, accomplished 713 

Payer, Lieut., with Koldewey 634 

inTegetthofF 659 

" beset in pack 664 

" discovers Franz-Josef's Land 668 

Peabodv, Geo., benevolence of 400 

Peel's Strait 377 

Pendulum experiments 309 

Penny, Capt., in Franklin search 409 

Petermann, Dr., agency in Arctic investigation^^ 

Petropaulo vsky 229, 260 

Phipps, voyage of 141 

Pirn, Lieut 430 

Pole, Magnetic, discovered 338 

Plover, British steamer 408 

Pole of greatest cold 4S9 

Polaris, voyage and wreck of 640, 65S 

Pond Bay 406 

Poole, Jonas, voyage of S2 

Portuguese, voyages of 29 

Prayer of Lyon for help 312 

Prontschischtsctiew 22g, 2fio 

Pullen, Lieut , boat journey of 409 

Pylheas of Marseilles 20 

Rae, Dr John 3S2 

" joins Richardson in search party 383 

" attempts to reach Wollaston Land 391 

" discovers relics of Franklin 43S 

Raleigh, Sir Walter, voyages of 54 

Ravenscraig 657 

Becords, manner of preserving 539 

Refraction, effects of 553 

Reindeer, travel planned by Parry 323 

Reikiavik Soi 

Reliance, Fort 350 

Relics of Franklin 43S, 540 

" " Frobisher 509 

Rensselaer Harbor 499 

Repulse Bay 313 

Rescue, as escort for the Geo. Henry 548 

" in first Grinnell Expedition 442 

Richardson, Dr . , with Franklin 797 

" in search of Franklin 3S2 

" his adventure with woh.es 214 

Rijp, John C 60 

Rodgers, the voyage of 796 

" burning of 797 

Ross, Sir John, voyage in Isabella 161 

" alleged discovery of Croker's Moun- 
tains 1 65 

" second voy'age of in Felix 331 

" in Franklin search 409 

Ross, James C, discovers magnetic Pole 338 

" search for Franklin 397 

Russian Explorations 229, 260 

Sabine, Edward, experiments of 306 

" Island 63S 

Saiiors, mutiny and desertion of 526 

Samoyeds 364, 370, 700, 719 

Samoyed chief saves Middendorf 369 

Scenery, Arctic, 662 

Schalarow, journeys in Siberia 221 

" failure and death 221 

Schelagskoi Cape 237 

Schwatka, Lieut., voyage of 687 

" discovers grave of Irving 6S9 

Scoresby, Dr. William 153 



Page. 

Scoresby, voyage of, to Greenland 153 

' ' William J r , begins seafaring life .... 1 54 

voyage of, to Spitzbergen 137 

" publishes account of voyages iljc 

Separation of Polaris from floe 648 

" of Jeannette boat-parties 814 

Siberia, explorations in 229, 2'o, 3^3, 370 

Simpson, journey with Dease 3L0 

Sledges, Arctic .' 23 f, 257, 321 

Smith, Leigh, voyage in Eira 779 

Smith Sound 492 

Snorri 228 

Snow, Mr. W. P 451 

Snow, phenomenon of red it>^ 

Sofia, the ship 692 

Spanish voyages 30 

Sonntag, loss of 607 

Spitzbergen 157 

Steller, voyage of, with Behring 129 

Sviatoi-noss 717 

Swayne, Capt 1 7 

Sweden, in Arctic voyages 691 

Tadibes 70S 

Taimur River 364 

Taimur Land 364 

" " good-bye to 368 

Tchuktchis, habits of 241 

" dance 242 

" visits from 240 

Tegetthoff, the 66t 

" abandoned 671 

Tennyson's Monument 508 

Tessuisak, harbor of 643 

Terror, in command of Back 35 5 

" nipped in the ice 354 

" in command of Franklin 376 

Thermometers, sensitiveness of 499 

Thule, of Pytheas 21 

Tookoolito 582 

Trees in Siberia 703 

Tundras 257, 265 

Tungusi 364 

Tyson, Capt. Geo. E 647, 658 

Unique, Island, a 228 

United States in Franklin search 441 

" " in command of Hayes 590 

Unprecedented drift, an 4^6 

Upernavik 479, 532 

Vaigats Sound 59 

Van Noort, Oliver, voyage of 66, 68 

" " attacked by Patagonians 67 

" " battle with Spaniards Oj 

Vegetation of Arctic regions 44S, 498, 703 

Vega, the, voyage of 691, 730 

Victoria Strait 336 

Victoria, first steamship in Arctic seas 332 

' ' abandoned 340 

Vikings 22 

Von Wrangell, see Wrangell 

Voyage, first search for lost explorer S3 

Walruses, encounter with 639 

Weert, Sebald de, vovage of 6S 

Wellington Channel 453, 466 

Weymouth, voyages of, to Hudson's Bay 71 

Weyprecht, in command of Austro- Hungarian 

Expedition 659 

Whale Sound 621 

Whale, stranded 133 

Willoughby, Sir Hugh 40 

Winter quarters 175, 2.0, 350, 5°i 

Wood, John 115, 116 

Wrangell, Baron von 229, 260 

Yenesei, descent of the 364 

Young, Capt. Allen 741 

Zembla, Nova 64 

Zeni Brothers 27 



JUL 



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